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Dear Mr Aleck

Re: Request for Internal Review - Request 4678

Thank you for your dated 7^th January 2010 regarding the response to your recent request to the Council (our ref: 4678).

In your you asked for an internal review of the handling of your Request. I have summarised the details of your appeal below:

I am sorry that you are dissatisfied with our handling of your requests and I have investigated your complaints under Stage 1 of the Council's Corporate Complaints Procedure. Further details of our procedure can be found on our website: http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/councilgovernmentanddemocracy/councils/contactsconsultationandfeedback/complaints-and-compliments/complaints/

Response

The Council received your original request on the 1^st December 2009, and acknowledged it on the same day. You sent an email to request an internal review on the 7^th January as you had not had a response.

I note that as of today's date you have still not received a response. In mitigation I can only offer that the department dealing with your request experienced some difficulties in locating the requested information. The delay, however, is unacceptable and as a result your complaint is upheld.

I apologise for the delays you have experienced with regard to your original request and this internal review.

I have also attached the information as per your original request of 1^st December 2009.

Please note that any information which would identify individual residents has been removed from the consultation responses. This information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act as it relates to personal data. Section 40 (2) of the Act states that information can be refused if its disclosure would breach the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998. Having considered the information, it is our opinion that disclosure would breach the privacy of the individuals concerned and that it would not be fair or lawful to do so in this instance. As this would be a breach of principle 1 of the Act (fair and lawful processing), this information is exempt. This is an absolute exemption and not subject to a public interest test.

In accordance with section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

This completes the internal review into the handling of your Request under the Council's complaints procedure. Should you be dissatisfied with our response, you are entitled to contact the Information Commissioner under Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. For your reference, I have provided his contact details below:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Tel: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Fax: 01625 524510

Web: www.ico.gov.uk

I hope this fulfils your request. Should you have any queries, please contact me at the address above.

Yours sincerely,

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Under the Data Protection Act 1998, Data Subjects have rights to challenge, alter or erase the inaccurate and unlawful processing of their information. In the first instance please contact The Data Protection Officer, Information Services, 101 Orchardson Street, London NW8 8EA. If you are not satisfied with our response you may contact The Information Commissioner: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF