Dear Mr Walker

Internal Review- Freedom of Information Request

I write in response to the Internal Review request you made on 20 April 2009 in relation to a Freedom of Information request dated 17 March 2009. I am aware that your Freedom of Information request was subject to some delay and I hope you will accept my apology on behalf of the Ministry of Justice for any inconvenience or frustration that has been caused as a result of this delay.

I have conducted an Internal Review of your case and I hope you find my conclusions provide you with some explanation as to why the response to your Freedom of Information request was delayed.

A delay to your request, which related to Common Purpose Graduates, was caused in part by an unusually high volume of requests for information and some legacy issues. I am pleased to say that we have made a number of changes which I hope will improve our service. The Information Commissioner is aware of the difficulties the unit has faced and is monitoring these changes.

In addition, your request required a person with knowledge specific this area to assess your questions. This entailed a high degree of cross communication within the Ministry of Justice and, unfortunately, led to an increased delay specific to your case. I understand that an answer to your Freedom of Information request has now been issued to you and I hope you find the response satisfactory.

I hope I have been able to provide some clarity as to why a response to your Freedom of Information request was issued to you late. If you are dissatisfied with the result of your Internal Review, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner's Office under Section 50 of the FOIA. You can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Internet: https://www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us.aspx

Yours sincerely

Hannah Wright

Data Access & Compliance Unit