Information Access Team 
Financial and Commercial Group 
Ground Floor (NW), Seacole Building  
 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF 
Switchboard 020 7035 4848 
E-mail [email address]   www.homeoffice.gov.uk 
Request-20984-
Our Ref:   
13053 
Your ref: 
[email address]
Date: 
22 December 2009 
Dear Mr Walker 
 
When I wrote to you on 7 December acknowledging your complaint about the delay in sending 
you a full reply to your request for information about any breaches of the Acts you were 
interested in, I said I had been asked to investigate your complaint.  The purpose of this letter 
is to let you know the outcome of my investigations. 
 
I discussed your request with the colleague who considered it and noted that you should have 
received a full reply by 11 November.  I know he wrote to you on 11 November apologising for 
the delay saying that he hoped to reply to you by 5 December.  He subsequently sent a further 
apology on 4 December anticipating that he would be able to send you a full reply by 23 
December.  While I am pleased that you were kept up to date with the progress of your 
request for information, this does not alter the fact that the Home Office has breached section 
10 of the Freedom of Information Act by not replying in full within 20 working days.  I would like 
you to accept my apologies for this shortcoming.  However, I am pleased to note that a full 
reply to your request for information was sent to you on 17 December. 
 
Please accept my apologies for the way your request has been handled which has fallen short 
of our usual standards. 
 
Yours sincerely 
Steve Kirk 
 
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