International and
020 7035 4848
Immigration Policy
(switchboard)
Group
2 Marsham Street
www.gov.uk
London SW1P 4DF
Amit Hidri
request-222368-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
29 August 2014
Ref: CR32457
Dear Mr/Ms Hidri
Thank you for your email of 30 July, in which you requested information relating to the
department’s guidance on biometric data. Your request is being handled as a request for
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We are considering your request. Although the Act carries a presumption in favour of
disclosure, it provides exemptions which may be used to withhold information in specified
circumstances. Some of these exemptions, referred to as ‘qualified exemptions’, are
subject to a public interest test. This test is used to balance the public interest in disclosure
against the public interest in favour of withholding the information. The Act allows us to
exceed the 20 working day response target where we need to consider the public interest
test fully.
The information which you have requested is being considered under the exemptions at
Section 35 (Formulation of government policy), of the Act. This is a qualified exemption
and to consider the public interest test fully we need to extend the 20 working day
response period. We now aim to let you have a full response by 26 September 2014.
Yours sincerely
J Allen
International and Immigration Policy Group (IIPG)
Switchboard
020 7035 4848
E-mail
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx