Information Policy Team

Shared Services Directorate

2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

Switchboard 020 7035 4848 Fax: 020 7035 4745 Textphone: 020 7035 xxxx

E-mail: Info.Access@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Peter Collingbourne

[FOI #4419 email] 29 May 2009

CR10676

Dear Mr Collingbourne

You asked for an internal review into the time taken to answer your Freedom of Information (FOI) request about the Thales Information Systems contract signed in August 2008.

An acknowledgement was sent informing you that you might expect a response by 31^st December. No qualified exemptions were then being considered, so it would not have been appropriate to extend the deadline in order to consider the public interest in relation to those exemptions (as permitted by section 10(3) of the FOI Act). Once it became apparent that it would not be possible to issue a response within the time limit a letter was sent to you however, apologising for the delay, and setting a further target of 26^th January.

Nevertheless, in spite of the evidence that there was some initial effort to keep you abreast of developments, section 10(1) has been breached as IPS failed to send you a full response to your request within 20 working days, as required by the FOI Act in all cases where the deadline is not extended under section 10(3). I would like to apologise for this delay and for the inconvenience that this will have caused. Although there are sometimes legitimate reasons why a response cannot be sent within the time limits imposed by the Act, the time taken to date in relation to this case is entirely unacceptable.

I understand that a response a draft response is now being finalised, and you should receive a reply within the next 15 working days.

If you are dissatisfied with the content of the final response, when received from IPS, you may request an internal review of its content by writing to the address at Annex A. Should you remain dissatisfied after any such further internal review, you will have a further right of complaint to the Information Commissioner. You also have a further right of complaint to the Information Commissioner should you be dissatisfied with the content of my response to your complaint about the time this taking to complete. The Information Commissioner's contact details can also be found in Annex A.

Yours sincerely

Diana Pottinger

Annex A - contact details

An internal review can be requested by submitting your complaint to:

Information Rights Team

Home Office
4th Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Email: [email address]

The Information Commissioner can be contacted by writing to:

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Online: www.ico.gov.uk