Information Access Team

Information Management Service

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

Switchboard 020 7035 4848

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

Our Ref 11438

Your Ref

Date 8 April 2009

Dear Mr Perrin

I am writing further to my correspondence of 23^rd March 2009 regarding your information request dated 23^rd February 2009.

You asked about communications between the Government and UK opticians regarding the publicised new service Iris Imaging and in particular, of the use for this data in relation to ID cards and associated databases.

After further consideration, I have established that there are no records of there having been communications of the type described above, and that the Home Office does not hold the information that you have requested. I am sorry if my previous letter gave the impression that information is held. By way of further explanation, I should add that the IRIS image capture process is based on a high resolution digital photograph of the iris, this is taken without flash and is therefore non-invasive and there is no risk of damage to the eye.

I realise that this response may be a disappointment to you. However I would like to assure your request has been thoroughly considered and that I am confident that we do not hold the information that you asked for.

Yours sincerely

Martin Riddle

Information Access Consultant

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Access 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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 access 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.

Mr Paul Perrin

[FOI #8363 email]