Dear Mr. Yeo

Thank you for your email dated 26^th May 2009 where you requested:

`The Home Office commissioned research into whether raising the spouse visa age from 18 to 21 or 24 might help to prevent forced marriages. The research appears to have been conducted by the Violence Against Women Research Group at the School for Policy Studies based at the University of Bristol. A summary of the research findings has been published. The findings are published so there is no reason why the full research report should not also be made available.'

This falls to be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please find enclosed a copy of the full unpublished report.

As you are aware the Home Office did not publish the full research report. The reason for non-publication is that the report (rather than how the research was conducted) is not of sufficient quality to be published in the Home Office research series. The report contains unsubstantiated findings and what appear to be potentially misleading statements. It is also difficult to establish how individuals or groups/organisations have responded to certain questions. More specific reasons are attached to this letter.

A summary of the research was produced by UK Border Agency researchers in conjunction with the contractors which clarified and pulled out key findings. This was provided to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 4 April 2008 and was referred to in their report on domestic violence, forced marriage and honour based violence published on 13 June 2008.

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act, all information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. However, for the quality concerns outlined above, the Department will not be simultaneously releasing to the public the information you requested.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request.  Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the UK Border Agency sending a substantive reply to your original request and should be addressed to:

UK Border Agency
Central Freedom of Information Team
11th Floor
Lunar House, Short Corridor
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY

During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely

Kate Hitchcock

Head, Managed Migration Research

Analysis, Research and Knowledge Management