08 September 2009

Information Management Group

Old Admiralty Building

London

SW1A 2PA

Tel: 020 7008 1224

Fax: 020 7008 1114

E-mail: [email address]

Our ref: 0647-09

Guy Freeman

By e-mail to

[email address]

Dear Mr Freeman,

Thank you for your request for information which we received on 11 August 2009. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does hold the information you are seeking.

The FOI Act obliges us to respond to requests promptly, and in any case no later than 20 working days after receiving your request. However, when a qualified exemption applies to the information and the public interest test is engaged, we are able to extend the time for response by a reasonable period. We do, of course, aim to make all decisions within 20 working days, including in cases where we need to consider where the public interest lies in respect of a request for exempt information. Your request, however, raises complex public interest considerations which must be analysed before we can come to a decision on releasing the information.

The specific exemption we are considering in relation to your request is Section 27 - International Relations.

In your case we need to extend our response time limit by 10 working days to give us time to assess whether the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it

Therefore, we plan to let you have a response by 23 September 2009. If there's a need for any further delay we will keep you informed.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint, you should write to me.

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 ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the FCO. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Brian Dorrington

Information Rights Team

We keep and use information in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. We may release this personal information to other UK government departments and public authorities.

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Foreign &

Commonwealth

Office