Information Access Team

Information Management Service

Room No: 4th Floor, Seacole Buidling, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

Fax 0207 035 0739 Direct Line 0207 035 4252

E-mail [email address] www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Our Ref 11438

Your Ref

Date 23 March 2009

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your e-mail dated 23^rd February 2009 in which you ask about communications between the Government and UK opticians regarding the publicised new service Iris Imaging in respect in particularly of the use for this data in relation to ID cards and associated databases.

We are considering your information request. Although the Freedom of Information Act carries a presumption in favour of disclosure, it provides 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 35(1)(a) of the Act. This is a qualified exemption relating to the formulation or development of government policy. In order to consider the public interest test fully we need to extend the 20 working day response period, and now aim to respond by 8^th April 2009.

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

Yours sincerely

Martin Riddle

Information Access Consultant

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ANNEX A

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting your complaint within two months to the below address quoting reference 11438

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

Email: [email address]

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.

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The Constitution Unit, a research body at University College London, is carrying out an independent evaluative study of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in co-operation with a number of public authorities, including the Home Office. An important part of the evaluation process is gathering the experiences and opinions of FOI requesters like you. Any information you provide will be handled in accordance with the privacy policy explained in the survey.

If you would like to take part in this study, please click the following link to be taken directly to the survey http://tinyurl.com/58zq2f Or, if you prefer, contact Ben Worthy at [email address] or on 020 7679 4974 to ask more about the study.

If you have filled this survey out before, UCL invite you to fill it out again in light of the recent response to your request.

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WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC

Mr Paul Perrin

[FOI #8363 email]