Peter Collingbourne

Email: [FOI #11840 email]

12 February 2010

Dear Mr Collingbourne

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS: CONTRACTS WITH THALES AND CSC

I am writing further to our responses to your requests of 28 November 2008 and 12 May 2009, in which you asked for copies of documents relating to contracts with Thales and CSC to support the National Identity Service. You will also have received the response from the Home Office Information Access Team to your request for an internal review of our responses.

It had been our intention to provide the contract information, which you have requested, by end January 2010. This is a complex and sensitive task and we now plan to do this by end February 2010. These documents will provide as much information as we are able without prejudicing commercial, personal data or security interests. We shall specify the reasons for withholding any information which is not released, citing the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act. This will constitute a revised response to your original requests. It would be helpful if you could provide us with a full postal address for us to send you the relevant documents, as they are too large to be sent electronically. The documents will be also made available on the Identity and Passport Service website at the same time.

Yours sincerely

Bill Crothers

Executive Director, CIO & Commercial

Identity and Passport Service

Passport Adviceline: 0300 222 0000 (07.00 - 23.00 seven days a week).

Email us at [Identity & Passport Service request email]. Visit our website at www.ips.gov.uk.

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Headquarters

Parliamentary & Correspondence Management Team

8^th Floor, Globe House

89 Eccleston Square

London

SW1V 1PN

Tel (0207) 901 2426

Fax (0870) 336 9175

Email [Identity & Passport Service request email]

Web www.ips.gov.uk