Loss Of DWP Client Files

Dear Sir or Madam,

Could your please provide the following Information, broken down by
Business year for the last 10 business years and Benefit claimed.

1. How many Manually held claimant files are lost or believed lost
each year?

2. How many files that are believed lost or missing are recovered?

3 What is the mean time for recovery of a missing or presumed lost
file from DWP storage facilities?

Yours faithfully,

white.mark.a

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

Dear Sirs

This is "NOT" a Request for Internal Review. This is clarification
of where the information requested under the FOI request is held by
The DWP, and where it can be obtained within the cost limits set.
Your response is incorrect and false and this is in light of the
Publicly available information from the DWP.

You are invited to address your error and meet the full originating
FOI request within the deadline of 20 working days and no later
than 03 June 2009.

I am some what surprised by your response, given the contents of
the response provided to my FOI request concerning 'Data Protection
- Principle 7' made 7 December 2008 and which has still to be fully
answered.

Your response can be read in full here -
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/45...

It states;

"Extracts from Security Guidance on DWP Intranet as at January 2009

PART 1

Loss

When any type of asset has been lost that could have security
implications. This includes documents lost within the office or
remote storage facilities.

Eg. Missing official receipt pad

Loss of security passes/name badges/warrant cards

Loss of customer records or supporting documents (after formal
lostdocument procedures have been followed) "

It also makes clear that all security incidents, such as loss of a
single client file are to be reported as breaches of security and
reported to The Security Advisor;

"3.1 All staff should ensure that they are aware of how to identify
and report a suspected security incident, including instances of
suspected internal fraud or abuse. Suspected security incidents
must be immediately reported directly to the Security Advisor (SA).

Staff should ensure that they know who the Security Advisor or
nominated officer is for their area and how to contact them.

3.2 Staff can also contact the Whistleblowers Hotline with their
concerns if they are uncomfortable reporting incidents locally. "

The same response also states;

"1.3 Incidents are monitored to identify trends and to ensure that
remedial action, where appropriate, is taken. Wider security
implications for the Department as a whole are considered and
annual reports are prepared on the state of security within DWP.
This report is made available to the Departmental Audit Committee
(DAC), senior management and the Permanent Secretary. It fulfils
the Departmental Security Officer's (DSO) obligation to provide
assurance to senior management. "

I have asked for information that should be centrally held and
obtainable from the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC).

I also understand from Ministerial statements in Hansard that such
data would also be known to Accounting Officer, Senior Information
Risk Owner and Information Asset Owner, following the Government's
stated Public position on Data Security.

I am therefore obliged to state that you your reasons for none
compliance are incorrect and spurious.

Kindly comply with the originating request within the required time
limits. This in not a Request for an Internal Review, but
correction of your erroneous response which has to be read in light
of your past responses.

Again;

Could your please provide the following Information, broken down by
Business year for the last 10 business years and Benefit claimed.

1. How many Manually held claimant files are lost or believed lost
each year?

2. How many files that are believed lost or missing are recovered?

3 What is the mean time for recovery of a missing or presumed lost
file from DWP storage facilities?

These facts should be available from the reports to the
Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) and there should therefore be no
excessive cost involved. Your response is some what bemusing and
seems to have not sought the sources of the requested information
within the cost limit of £600.00, only compliance in excess of
barriers.

Should you have difficulty in extracting utile data from the
reports provided to The Departmental Audit Committee (DAC), it may
simply be easier to provide all such reports by return for
analysis.

However as the reports to The Departmental Audit Committee (DAC)
are to allow for monitoring of security issues such as loss of
files and remedial action, I do believe that the Information sought
can be reasonable found from those sources. Again this information
has to also be in the possession of Accounting Officer, Senior
Information Risk Owner and Information Asset Owner.

Should you need access to the reports that are to be provided to
The Departmental Audit Committee (DAC)it is made clear that Sir
Leigh lewis, Permanent Secretary is to have copies, as are senior
managers. It is evident that multiple copies of the required source
documents can be found within the DWP and from many stated sources.

The Accounting Officer, Senior Information Risk Owner and
Information Asset Owner should also be asked for their copies of
reports and submissions on the relevant subject.

Your correct and full response is awaited no later than 03 June
2009.

Please provide your response in Acrobat Pdf Format.

should your response again fail to provide the requested
information, I will then exercise the option for an Internal
Review.

Yours sincerely,

white.mark.a

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

I understand that A full response to this Freedom Of Information
Request is now overdue.

By law public authorities must respond "promptly", and in any event
not later than 20 working days after receiving a request.

The 20 Working day limit is now passed, so could you kindly either
provided the requested information, or at least state the reason
for delay and what action is being taken to address it with a
proposed resolution date.

Yours sincerely,

white.mark.a

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

I understand that A full response to this Freedom Of Information
Request is now overdue.

By law public authorities must respond "promptly", and in any event
not later than 20 working days after receiving a request.

The 20 Working day limit is now passed, so could you kindly either
provided the requested information, or at least state the reason
for delay and what action is being taken to address it with a
proposed resolution date.

Yours sincerely,

white.mark.a

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

A full response to this Freedom Of Information Request is now
overdue. It should have been available no later than 03 June 2009.
You have been allowed a further five working days and have still
failed to provide the requested information.

Please provide the requested information by return - or at least
have the courtesy to provide a proper response rather than the
ambiguous "holding response.doc" which you have sent previously.

kindly either provided the requested information, or at least state
the reason for delay and what action is being taken to address it
with a proposed resolution date.

Yours sincerely,

white.mark.a