Freedom of Information Request for information

Dear Mr Cross

Thank you for your email of 22^nd February 2008 in which you requested a copy of the Representation of the People Act 1867 and requested the Act in electronic form.

I can confirm that the Department holds this information. This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act (Information accessible to the applicant by other means). This is an absolute exemption and there is therefore no requirement to consider the public interest.

The information is reasonably accessible to you and in the public domain because you can obtain copies from the Office of Public Sector Information (previously HMSO) from their website www.opsi.gov.uk. It is also reasonably accessible because it is available to view as originally enacted in statute books more details of which are provided below.

To view an electronic copy of this act please click on the below link http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1867/cukpga_18670102_en_1

If you have not already done so, and you wish to view a hardcopy of the document as originally enacted. I would recommend you check your local reference library. The Representation of People Act 1867 can be found in the statute book called Statutes at large 1867-1868 ,Volume XXXVIII (30.31 Victoria and 3132 Victoria) on page 297.

I hope you find this information helpful.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: Access Rights Unit, Selborne House, Point 6.17, 54 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QW.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely.

Carl Pencil

Freedom of Information User Survey

The Constitution Unit, a research body at University College London, is carrying out an independent evaluative study of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in co-operation with a number of public authorities, including the Ministry of Justice. An important part of the evaluation process is gathering the experiences and opinions of FOI requesters like you. Any information you provide will only be seen by the Constitution Unit and will be handled in accordance with its privacy policy explained in the survey. The Ministry of Justice will only see the published results: no individual

responses will be visible to us and your participation will have no effect on your future dealings with the Ministry.

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If you have filled this survey out before, we invite you to fill it out again in light of the recent response to your request.