Information Rights 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

Dr Geraint Bevan

[FOI #5966 email]

January 27, 2009

Ref: 10997

Dear Dr Bevan

I am writing further to my correspondence of 14^th January regarding your information request dated 13^th January. Your request has been handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as a request for information.

Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, the Home Office is not obliged to comply with any information request where the prescribed costs of supplying you with the information exceed £600. The £600 limit applies to all central government departments and is based on work being carried out at a rate of £25 per hour, which equates to 3½ days work per request. Prescribed costs include those which cover the cost of locating and retrieving information, and preparing our response to you. They do not include considering whether any information is exempt from disclosure, overheads such as heating or lighting, or disbursements such as photocopying or postage.

We hold the information in which you are interested, but have estimated that the cost of answering your request would exceed the £600 limit and we are therefore unable to comply with it. Although your request would at present be too costly to answer, if you refine it so that it falls under the cost limit we will consider it further. You could refine your request by specifying a narrower range of dates, or subject of meetings. You should however be aware that if you break your request down into a series of smaller requests, we might, depending on the circumstances of the case, decline to answer if the aggregated cost of complying exceeds £600, as permitted by the Fees Regulations.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our decision by submitting your complaint to:

Information Policy Team
Information and Record Management Service
Home Office
4th Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

During the independent 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 will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

I realise that this reply may be a disappointment to you, but I look forward to hearing from you again shortly should you wish to refine your request.

Yours sincerely