Dear Mr Hourihane

Freedom of Information Request

Thank you for your email of 05/05/09 in which you asked for the following information from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

1. When will the BT inmate telephone contract be coming to an end?

2. Will there be a tender for the new inmate phone system?

Your request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

I can confirm that we hold the information you have requested and I will be able to release the information to you.

The contract with the current provider, BT is due to expire in April 2011. There is however a clause in the contract that allows for extension for up to another 5 years.

A project to replace the current service has been set up and options for the replacement service are currently being considered. These options include a full OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) tender procurement exercise.

As part of our obligations under the FOIA, the Ministry of Justice has an independent review process. If you are dissatisfied with this decision, you may write to request an internal review. The internal review will be carried out by someone who did not make the original decision, and they will re-assess how the Department handled the original request.

If you wish to request an internal review, please write or send an email to the Data Access and Compliance Unit within two months of the date of this letter, at the following address:

Data Access and Compliance Unit

Information Directorate

Ministry of Justice

6th Floor, Zone B

Postal Point 1.41

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

e-mail: [email address]

If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner's Office under Section 50 of the FOIA. You can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Internet: https://www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us.aspx

Yours sincerely

Paul Hunt

Data Access & Compliance Unit

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