DWP Central Freedom of Information Team

e-mail: [DWP request email]

Our Ref: VTR790

18 May 2009

Dear Mr White

Freedom of Information Request - VTR 790

I am now able to reply to your request for information that you made on 5 May.

You asked for the following information for the last 10 years, broken down by year and by benefit claimed:

1. How many manually held claimant files are lost or believed lost

each year?

2. How many files that are believed lost or missing are recovered?

3 What is the mean time for recovery of a missing or presumed lost

file from DWP storage facilities?.

In answer to your three questions, small, localised incidents involving lost files are not recorded centrally, and consequently, in order to answer your questions, we would have to collect details of these incidents. We estimate that the cost of doing so, and complying with your request, would exceed the appropriate limit of £600. The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for central Government it is set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working days in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information. Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the Department is not obliged to comply with your request and we will not be processing this part of your request further.

Details of more significant incidents involving personal data have, since last year, been published in the Department's resource accounts. The Department will continue to publish, on an annual basis, details of all such significant incidents in future resource accounts.

If you are not satisfied with my handling of your request, please tell me why within two calendar months of the date of this letter. I will then arrange for someone to conduct an internal review of your request and my decision. The review will be conducted by another officer, usually of a more senior grade to myself. This person will have taken no part in my original decision. The reviewing officer will advise you of their decision in writing.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner to look into the way your request has been handled.

The Commissioner can be contacted at:

FoI Complaints Resolution

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Fax: 01625 524 510

email: [email address]

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely

DWP Central FoI Team