28 July 2009

Americas Directorate

WH2.324

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

Tel: 020 7 008 2606

Fax: 020 7 008 2476

E-mail: [email address]

Mr Liam Craig-Best

[FOI #14909 email]

Ref. 0580-09

Dear Mr Craig-Best

Your Freedom of Information Request 0580-09

Thank you for your email of 19 July 2009, in which you requested:

“some information relating to files on Colombia held by the FCO in London
(rather than by diplomatic posts). Specifically I would like a chronological list of Colombia files held by the FCO pertaining to 2008 with their reference numbers.”

I can confirm the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold the information in the format you have requested. We have considered the length of time it would take to compile a list for you and have concluded that this would take us beyond the appropriate cost limit.

There are more than 70 departments in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, some or all of which may hold files pertaining to Colombia for 2008. We estimate that it would take in excess of 3.5 working days to identify, retrieve, and compile a complete list of, the files relevant to your request.

Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit. The limit has been specified in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, and for central government is set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3.5 working days in determining whether the department holds the information requested, and in locating, retrieving and extracting it. Therefore, we do not intend to proceed any further with the request.

You may wish to refine your request by being more specific about which departments or issues you wish to obtain file lists for. Should you wish to narrow the scope of your request, it will be assessed as a new application under the Freedom of Information Act, and we will still be obliged to consider whether it falls within the stipulated limit of £600. You should also be aware that, should it fall within the stipulated limit, there would be no automatic guarantee that the information would be released.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request and wish to make a complaint, or request an internal review, you should write to me at the above address. Internal review requests should be submitted within 40 working days from the date our response has issued.

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future correspondence.

Should you proceed with an internal review, and are not content with its outcome, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaint procedure provided by the FCO. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Shaw

Assistant Desk Officer for Andean Section

South America Team

2

Foreign &

Commonwealth

Office