Direct Communications Unit

2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

Switchboard 020 7035 4848 Fax: 020 7035 4745 Textphone: 020 7035 4742

E-mail: [Home Office request email] Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Michael Bimmler

[FOI #11824 email]

Freedom of Information Request - our reference 11925

5^th June 2009

Dear Mr Bimmler,

Thank you for your email of 15^th May 2009 in which you ask for information on Mr Binyam Mohammed.

We are considering your information request. Although the Freedom of Information Act carries a presumption in favour of disclosure, it provides exemptions which may be used to withhold information in specified circumstances. Some of these exemptions are subject to a public interest test. These exemptions are known as qualified exemptions. The public interest test is used to balance the public interest in disclosure against the public interest in favour of withholding the information under qualified exemptions. Section 10(3) of the Act allows us to exceed the 20 working day response target where reasonably necessary to consider the public interest test fully. This is subject to us telling applicants when we expect to conclude our deliberations and provide a full response.

The information requested must be considered under the exemptions contained within sections 24 and 31 of the Act. These are qualified exemptions relating to national security and law enforcement. In order to consider the public interest test fully we need to extend the 20 working day response period, and now aim to respond by 3 July 2009.

Should you have any queries about the handling of your information request then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

J Fanshaw