Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:21:10 +0000 Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - The PM's misleading conference speech, re sickness benefit claimants From: [FOI #89313 email] To: [email address] Dear Prime Minister’s Office, Re: "There is a very clear distinction between what the Prime Minister says in his government capacity, where his research is carried out by Civil Servants, and what he says at the Conservative Party Conference, where Civil Servants are prohibited by law from helping him with purely political issues." Presumably the PM was aware of this distinction? What does your response to my FoI imply? If he had been making a speech about sickness benefit claimants in his capacity as PM, what research / facts / stats. would the Civil Servants have supplied him with regarding his particular assertion? Would it have contradicted his claims in his speech to the conservative party conference? How come he was allowed to misinform people at the Conservative Party conference, and all those who viewed it on TV etc.? Are there no official checks / rules on misinformation? Yours faithfully, [P. Smith] -----Original Message----- Dear [P. Smith] I am sorry but we cannot help you. There is a very clear distinction between what the Prime Minister says in his government capacity, where his research is carried out by Civil Servants, and what he says at the Conservative Party Conference, where Civil Servants are prohibited by law from helping him with purely political issues. We do not therefore know what research he did which is why we suggested that you write to him c/o the Conservative party. Regards FOI Team Knowledge and Information Management (CSG) Room 1.35 |Admiralty Arch |London SW1A 2WH Tel: 0207 276 0601 Email: [Number 10 request email] ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please use this email address for all replies to this request: [FOI #89313 email] Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/officers If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This email was received from the INTERNET and scanned by the Government Secure Intranet anti-virus service supplied by Cable&Wireless Worldwide in partnership with MessageLabs. (CCTM Certificate Number 2009/09/0052.) In case of problems, please call your organisation’s IT Helpdesk. Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.