Mr Andrew Watson

Email: [FOI #23716 email]

Reference: FOICR 13416/09

Date: 17 December 2009

Dear Mr Watson

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your e-mail of 25 November, in which you ask for information about the recruitment of the Identity Commissioner. Your request has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We are now in a position to provide a full reply to your request and I can provide the following information.

You asked how much money was spent on recruitment consultants and advertising to find applicants for the office of the Identity Commissioner.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) spent £42,077.24 on recruitment consultants and £8,826.35 on advertising.

You asked for information on how many dates advertisements for the post were published, and in which newspapers.

The post was advertised in the Sunday Times on 18 January 2009.  

You asked what other advertising channels were used, apart from newspapers.

The post was advertised on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website and the Odgers Ray and Berndtson website.   

You asked how many people completed applications for the post.

20 completed application forms were received.

You asked how many applicants for the post were interviewed

6 people were selected to be interviewed for the post.

In keeping with the Freedom of Information Act, we assume that all information can be released to the public unless it is exempt.

I hope that this information meets your requirements. I would like to assure you that we have provided you with all relevant information that we hold.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting a complaint within two months to the address below, quoting reference 13416/09.

Information Access Team

Home Office
Ground Floor, Seacole Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

E-mail: [email address]

If you ask for an internal review, it would be helpful if you could say why you are dissatisfied with the response.

As part of any internal review, the Department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by members of staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. If you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you would have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Westmore

Head of Identity Commissioner's Sponsorship Team

Passport Adviceline: 0300 222 0000 (07.00-23.00, seven days a week).

Email us at [email address]. Visit our website at www.ips.gov.uk.

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Headquarters

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Email [email address]

Web www.ips.gov.uk