Dear Chevalier[Author ID2: at Tue Nov 25 10:53:00 2008 ] Bradistini

I am writing regarding your request for information, which I received on 6^th[Author ID3: at Tue Nov 25 09:01:00 2008 ]^st[Author ID3: at Tue Nov 25 09:01:00 2008 ] November. In that request, you asked us for

Please can you provide summary information on all meetings between

the Department for Work and Pensions during 2008 including at

ministerial level with telephone service providers in connection

with changes to existing telephony infrastructure.

I can confirm that DWP hold information falling within the description specified in your request. However, we estimate that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit of £600. The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for central Government it is set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working days in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information. Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the Department is not obliged to comply with your request and we will not be processing your request further.

The Department for Work and Pensions has over 100,000 employees and has contractual relationships with a number of telephone service providers and [Author ID3: at Tue Nov 25 09:02:00 2008 ]there is great [Author ID3: at Tue Nov 25 09:03:00 2008 ]difficulty in [Author ID2: at Tue Nov 25 10:52:00 2008 ]searching[Author ID2: at Tue Nov 25 10:52:00 2008 ] for and collating this material from a large number of civil servants spread over a geographically wide area, many hundreds of whom engage with our Telephony providers[Author ID3: at Tue Nov 25 09:03:00 2008 ] on a very regular basis[Author ID3: at Tue Nov 25 09:04:00 2008 ].

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request an internal review of our decision, please let me know. If you are not satisfied with my reasons for not giving you the information you requested please tell me why within two calendar months of the date of this letter. I will then arrange for someone to conduct an internal review of your request and my decision. The review will be conducted by another officer, usually of a more senior grade to myself. This person will have taken no part in my original decision. The reviewing officer will advise you of their decision in writing.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner to look into the way your request has been handled. Please note that generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have first exhausted DWP's own complaints procedure. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

FoI Complaints Resolution

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Fax: 01625 524 510

email: [email address]”