Direct Communications Unit

2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

Switchboard 020 7035 4848 Fax: 020 7035 4745 Textphone: 020 7035 4742

E-mail: [Home Office request email] Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

[FOI #4466 email]

29 January 2009

Dear Mr Bimmler

Thank you for your e-mail dated 1/12/08 in which you ask for information held by the Home Office with regards to the arrest of Mr Damian Green MP and the search of his office.

We are considering your information request. The Freedom of Information Act contains

exemptions which may be used to withhold information in specified circumstances. Some of these exemptions are subject to a public interest test. These exemptions are known as qualified exemptions. The public interest test is used to balance the public interest in disclosure against the public interest in favour of withholding the information under qualified exemptions. Section 10(3) of the Act allows us to exceed the 20 working day response target where reasonably necessary to consider the public interest test fully. This is subject to us telling applicants when we expect to conclude our deliberations and provide a full response.

The information requested must be considered under the exemption contained within section 31 of the Act, which relates to law enforcement.

This is a qualified exemption relating to the public interest test. In order to consider the public interest test fully we need to further extend the 20 working day response period, and now aim to respond by 26/2/09.

Should you have any queries about the handling of your information request then please do not hesitate to contact me quoting reference 10694.

Yours sincerely

J Wynne