Mr P Booth

Email: [FOI #28389 email]

Reference: FOICR 13955/10

Date: 2 March 2010

Dear Mr Booth

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your e-mail of 4 February, in which you ask for information on the Identity and Passport Service's (IPS) “Using your identity card” web page. Your request has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

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

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 FOICR 13955/10.

Information Access Team

Home Office
Ground Floor, Seacole Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [email address]

As part of any internal review the Department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should 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

H Reid

Freedom of Information Team

ANNEX

1) How were the quotations shown on the 'Using your identity card' web page as of 4th February 2010 solicited?

We have asked customers to tell us of their experiences, including via our website. Individuals who have provided accounts of identity card usage were then contacted to seek permission to use their experiences in the public domain . We have also received unsolicited feedback.  

2) Are all the quotations from people who had already received an ID card?  

Yes 

3) How many of the people quoted on the web page work for IPS, the Home Office or any other government department or agency?   

In order to protect their privacy, all individuals were offered a degree of anonymity.  However, the accounts are all drawn from individuals who were eligible for a National Identity Card under the commencement orders in place by the date 4 February 2010. Accounts have come from a range of sources, reflecting the eligibility outlined in the commencement orders.

 4) If they do (or did) not work for IPS or another government agency, how did the individuals identified as 'JW, London', 'PE, Kent', 'JP, London', 'KM, London', 'VN, Tottenham', 'CB, London', 'MM, north London' and 'JW, Kent' receive an ID card *before* 8th February 2010?

See the answer given above.

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

Email us at [Identity & Passport Service request email]. Visit our website at www.ips.gov.uk.

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Headquarters

Identity and Passport Service

Parliamentary & Correspondence Management Team

4th Floor, Peel Building, SE

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Tel (020) 7035 8889

Fax (0870) 336 9175

Email [Identity & Passport Service request email]

Web www.ips.gov.uk