Access without passes

Dear Mr Leaton

Thank you for your request for information dated 11 June 2011, received by us on 13 June 2011.

We will endeavour to respond to your request promptly but in any case within 20 working days i.e. on or before 11 July 2011.

If you have any queries about your request, please use the request number quoted at the top of this email.

Yours sincerely

Jenny Wormleighton | IRIS Support Officer
Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) Service | Department of HR and Change
| House of Commons

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Dear Mr Leaton,

Thank you for your request for information which is copied below. In response to your questions:

1. 1 Derby Gate, Derby Gate Library Entrance, Portcullis House, 1 Parliament Street, 1 The Abbey Garden, 2 The Abbey Garden, Fielden House, 4 Millbank, 7 Millbank, 14 Tothill Street, Carriage Gates, Cromwell Green Visitor Entrance, St Stephens Entrance, Peers’ Entrance, Sovereign’s Entrance, Black Rod’s Garden Entrance, Westminster Station Entrance, Curtis Green, Chancellor’s Gate.

2. This information is held by the House of Commons but is withheld under sections 24(1) (national security), 31(1)(a) (law enforcement) and 38(1)(a) and (b) (health and safety) of the Act. Responses to FOI requests, and therefore assessment of any risks arising, have to be considered as being disclosed to the public generally. The physical and electronic control of access to the parliamentary estate is conducted solely to maintain the security and safety of the fabric of parliament itself as well as that relating to those who work in, visit or are otherwise in the vicinity of the buildings. The release of information detailing specific aspects of the security arrangements for the Parliamentary estate could assist those seeking to determine and exploit any vulnerabilities in those arrangements.

Such exploitation would be likely to pose a threat to national security as it risks compromising the security of the Parliamentary estate. There are significant risks that would-be criminals could find it useful to know the means by which individuals have access to these buildings hence engagement of s.31(1)(a) and s.38(1)(a) and (b). Release could also undermine measures taken to safeguard the physical security, and hence the wellbeing of individuals in, or who are in the vicinity of those buildings, to whom the House of Commons has a duty of care, hence engagement of s.38(1)(a) and (b).

These exemptions are subject to assessment of the public interest. While it is accepted that there is a public interest in providing assurance that the entrances to the Parliamentary Estate, and the safety of its occupants and visitors, are properly protected, we have concluded that the obligation to maintain the security of information related to the measures that are in place to provide that protection provides an overriding interest in maintaining the exemptions.

You may, if dissatisfied with the treatment of your request, ask the House of Commons to conduct an internal review of this decision. Requests for internal review should be addressed to: Freedom of Information Officer, Department of HR and Change, House of Commons London SW1A OAA or [House of Commons request email] . Please ensure that you specify the nature of your complaint and any arguments or points that you wish to make.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security
House of Commons

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Dear Mr Leaton

I hope that the following will assist.

As far as I am aware our response to you made no reference to a certificate. While some exemptions provide for the provision of a certificate (in some cases requiring the signature of a Minister of the Crown) in order to demonstrate conclusive evidence that an exemption was required for the stated purpose, I am not aware of any that require such certification as a prerequisite in order for them to be applied.

Should I just record this a request for an internal review?

Yours sincerely

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security
House of Commons

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Dear Mr Leaton

Thank you for your email dated 4 August 2011 requesting an internal review of Freedom of Information request ref: F11-204, which was received on the same date.

We will endeavour to respond within 20 working days, i.e. on or before 2 September 2011. However, it may be necessary to extend this deadline by another 20 working days, for example if the review is complicated and requires the assistance of multiple resources,. If this is the case, and your review cannot be completed in the shorter timeframe, we will inform you of this.

If you have any queries about the review, please contact me with the reference in the subject title.

Alistair Duncan
IRIS Support Officer

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Dear Mr Leaton

Please find attached our response to your internal review request.

Yours sincerely

Alistair Duncan
IRIS Support Officer

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