Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Reform Programme

Dear Sir or Madam,

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Reform Programme –
request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

The Home Office/UKBA is currently undertaking a review of the
arrangements for the care and support of Unaccompanied Asylum
Seeking Children.

From information already made available it is clear that a central
part of the initiative is to identify local authorities, or groups
of local authorities, outside of London and the South-East of
England who would be prepared to act as ‘receiving authorities’ for
numbers of UASC who have initially arrived and been cared for
elsewhere in the UK.

Please provide me with an electronic copy, (see accessibility notes
below) via http://www.whatdotheyknow.com, of the following
information:

1. Which local authorities has the Home Office/UKBA , either
individually or as part of a strategic migration partnership or
‘consortia’ of authorities, had any meetings or discussions with
local authority, parnership or consortia officials concerning the
possibility of these local authorities becoming a ‘receiving
authority’ for unaccompanied asylum seeking children under the UASC
reform programme? Please state whether you were approached by
individual local authorities or as part of a strategic migration
partnership or ‘consortia’ of authorities.

2. If the answer to the first part of question 1 is ‘yes’, please
provide: a) copies of the minutes of all meetings between Home
Office/UKBA or other Local Government, Parnership or Consortia
officials and relating to any of them acting as a ‘receiving
authority’ and ; b) Any file note relating to conversations with
Local Government, Parnership or Consortia officials officials
relating to the same matter.

3. Do you hold copies of any Home Office/UKBA and or Local
Government, Partnership or Consortia officials’ staff ,or
consultants discussion papers, proposals or options for bodies to
consider in relation to the authority becoming a ‘receiving
authority’ for UASC under the reform programme?

If the answer to question 3 is ‘yes’, please provide: a) copies of
the minutes of any meetings at which this was a substantive agenda
item and; b) copies of any discussion papers, proposals or options
relating to the same matter.

4. Which Local Government, Partnership or Consortia bodies have
expressed an interest in becoming a ‘receiving authority’ for UASC
under the reform programme?

Please note that the Freedom of Information Act states that you
have a duty to contact me regarding this request within 20 working
days of receipt. I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Acessibility notes: Information accessibility

To enable use of a computer Screen Reader
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_reader) with any information
you provide please provide the information in Microsoft Office Word
Document format (.Doc) or equivalents like WordPerfect and Open
Office Writer Please state explicitly if this format is not
available, if this format is not available please provide it in an
accessible Portable Document Format (PDF). Accessibility
information can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_reader and with regards PDF's
http://www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessib... -
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/so...

Yours faithfully,

Eric Blair

Dear Freedom Of Information Team ( IND ),

Further to your request for an extension, to undertake a Public
Interest test under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act
2000.

"The information requested must be considered under the exemption
contained within section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act
2000. This is a qualified exemption relating to the protection of
commercial interests. 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 6 April."

I suggest to you that the current ICO guidance suggests that it
favours disclosure of the information I have requested.

I do not consider the information is exempt information and I do
not consider it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the
commercial interests of any person, including yourselves.

Most of the information requested is concerned primarily with other
Public Authorities and hence few real Commercial interests.

The Public Interest test is served as disclosure of the information
will:

- further the understanding of, and participation in the debate of
issues of the issues involved;

- facilitate the accountability and transparency of your decisions
in these matters;

- facilitate accountability and transparency of how public money is
being spent on these matters;

- allow individuals like me and those directly affected to
understand decisions made by yourselves affecting their lives and,
in some cases, assist individuals in challenging those decisions;

Yours sincerely,

Eric Blair