20 August 2008

Japan, Korea and Mongolia Team

Far Eastern Group

WH2.301 King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

E-mail: [email address]

Reference: 0604-08

Dear Dr Kaihsu Tai,

Thank you for your request for information, which we received on 22 July 2008.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does hold information relevant to your request.

The FOI Act obliges us to respond to requests promptly, however, when a qualified exemption is engaged and the public interest test is being considered, the Act allows for extensions to the deadline for a response.  We do, of course, aim to make all decisions as quickly as possible, including in cases where we need to consider where the public interest lies in respect of a request. In this case, however, we have not yet reached a decision on where the balance of the public interest lies.

In your case we estimate that it will take an additional 20 working days from the last deadline, 20 August, to take a decision on where the balance of the public interest lies. Therefore, we plan to let you have a response by 18 September. If it appears that it will take longer than this to reach a conclusion, we will keep you informed.

The specific exemption which is engaged in relation to your request is section 27 - International Relations.

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

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint, or request a review of our decision you should write to me at the above address. You have 40 working days to do so.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaint procedure provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Kind regards

P.Hopkins

Patrick Hopkins

Far Eastern Group

2

Foreign &

Commonwealth

Office