Information Access Team

Shared Services Directorate

2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

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

E-mail: Info.Access@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Phillip Main

[FOI #16341 email] 14 September 2009

Dear Mr Main

I am writing further to my correspondence of 19^th August regarding your information request dated 14^th August. We are now in a position to offer a full reply to your request.

We have estimated that the cost of answering your request would exceed the £600 limit and are therefore unable to comply with it. Although your request would at present be too costly to answer, if you refine it so that it falls under the cost limit, we will consider it further. You could, for instance, specify the subject(s) of correspondence you are interested in. You should however be aware that if you break your request down into a number of smaller requests, we might, depending on the circumstances of the case, decline to answer if the aggregated cost of complying exceeds £600, as permitted by the Fee Regulations. For further explanation of the exemption please see Annex A.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you will find the complaints procedure in Annex B

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.

I realize that this reply may be a disappointment to you, but I look forward to hearing from you again shortly should you wish to refine your request.

Yours sincerely,

Diana Pottinger

Information Access Consultant

Annex A Section 12 exemption

Under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the Home Office is not obliged to comply with any information request where the prescribed costs of supplying you with the information exceed £600. The £600 limit applies to all central government departments and is based on the work being carried out at a rate of £25 an hour, which equates to 31/2 days work per request. Prescribed costs include those which cover the cost of locating and retrieving information, and preparing our response to you. They do not include considering whether any information is exempt from disclosure, overheads such as heating or lighting, or disbursements such as photocopying or postage.

Annex B Complaints procedure

You may request an independent internal review of any aspect of our handling of your application by submitting your complaint to:

Information Access Team
Information and Record Management Service
Home Office
Ground Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

During the internal review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response.