API Records

The request was successful.

Dear Home Office,

My previous request (55668) about API data was refused citing exemptions in the FOIA. This request, which I have divided into two parts, is about a different aspect of API collection. I hope disclosure is not exempt.

1) After five years, API data is moved from the Semaphore system to a separate storage area.
---a. How many records exist in this separate storage area as of November 2019?
---b. From what date is the oldest record in this separate storage area as of November 2019?
---c. Is data automatically deleted after five (and 10) years or does it have to be manually purged?

2) What is the procedure for in-country and overseas immigration caseworkers—Including entry clearance officers—to obtain applicants’ travel history data (from before the exit checks system was introduced in 2015) from a) Semaphore b) Separate storage area? What checks are in place to ensure that caseworkers only have access to API data relevant to the case they are dealing with? Can ECOs access travel history data about British and EEA citizens?

I want to take this opportunity to thank the Home Office for its responses to my previous requests.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 56603). We will aim to send you a full response by 23/12/2019 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

Dear Sumsi Timonda
 
Thank you for your e-mail of 22 November, in which you ask for information
on API records.  Your request is being handled as a request for
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
 
 
We are considering your request.  Although the FOIA 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 FOIA 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
exemption[s] in section 31 of the FOIA, which relates to law enforcement.
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 23 January.
 
Yours sincerely
 
H  Reid
Border Force – Information Rights Team
 

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Dear Home Office,

I have been reminded that a response to my request is now long overdue. By when do you aim to let me have a full response?

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda
 
Thank you for your information request.  Please see the attached reply.
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
H  Reid
Border Force – Information Rights Team
_______________________________________
From: FOI Responses
Sent: 23 December 2019 16:23
To: '[FOI #622788 email]'
<[FOI #622788 email]>
Subject: RE: FoI Case Ref 56603 - (Sumsi Timonda) -PIT Letter
 
 
Dear Sumsi Timonda
 
Thank you for your e-mail of 22 November, in which you ask for information
on API records.  Your request is being handled as a request for
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
 
 
We are considering your request.  Although the FOIA 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 FOIA 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
exemption[s] in section 31 of the FOIA, which relates to law enforcement.
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 23 January.
 
Yours sincerely
 
H  Reid
Border Force – Information Rights Team
 

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Dear Home Office,

Thank you for your response to request 56603.

You say that you do not have a separate storage area for API data. The ICBI's inspection of exit checks (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk... page 26) says "The Home Office retains travel data in Semaphore for 5 years to enable “watchlisting” checks to be done, after which it is archived to a separate storage area for a further 5 years"

Please explain the apparent discrepancy in your response and this report.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 57692). We will aim to send you a full response by 06/03/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

N McKenzie
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
07 February 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Home Office,

Thank you for your response.

1) In my previous request I had asked about the oldest API record in the separate storage area, which you have clarified does not exist. Please let me know
---a. from what date is the oldest API record the Semaphore database as of March 2020.
---b. how many records in the database are subject to further access control as of March 2020.

2) I had contacted your DPU team on 10th February 2020 who told me "Entry and Exit data is routinely destroyed after 5 years. We can search for records up to 10 years if specifically required, but cannot guarantee a positive result." In a response to a previous response to a FOIR made by N Akhtar in 2014 (https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...), the DPU team wrote " Also, the e-Borders system only retains data for up to five years so we can not provide any data for journeys made more than five years ago."

Please clarify whether or not the information provided by the DPU on the two occasions is incorrect or misleading, specifically about data being routinely destroyed after 5 years and data being retained only for up to five years.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests Mailbox.  

We will endeavour to respond within 2 working days.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

 

Thank you,  

FOI Requests Home Office

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 58121). We will aim to send you a full response by 03/04/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
05 March 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Home Office,

I had contacted the SAR team [email address]). The copy of the email I have recieved is as follows:

From:
Subject Access Request<[email address]>
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 16:36
To
Sum.tim
<[email address]>

Thank you for your reply.

Entry and Exit data is routinely destroyed after 5 years. We can search for records up to 10 years if specifically required, but cannot guarantee a positive result.

Regards,

SARU

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests Mailbox.  

We will endeavour to respond within 2 working days.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

 

Thank you,  

FOI Requests Home Office

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Dear sir / madam,

Thank you for your email; do you wish to submit a new Freedom of Information request and/or Subject Access Request? If so, we would be grateful if you can specify what recorded information it is you wish to obtain.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
Home Office
Lower Ground Floor | Seacole | 2 Marsham Street | London SW1P 4DF
www.gov.uk/home-office

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Dear FOI Requests,

My last email was for clarification of request 58121. On 19th April, I was asked for clarification including a copy of correspondence from the DPU/SARU. For clarity, this is a FOIA request regarding the veracity of information provided by the SARU.

Yours sincerely,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests Mailbox.  

We will endeavour to respond within 2 working days.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

 

Thank you,  

FOI Requests Home Office

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 58302). We will aim to send you a full response by 22/04/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
21 March 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Home Office,

This is a follow-up to request 58302. If required, please treat this email as a new FOIR. You have stated that the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting the requested information would exceed the £600 limit. This pertains to the number of records in the Semaphore system subject to further access controls. However, you have not responded to other parts of my request:

1) From what date is the oldest API record the Semaphore database as of March 2020?

2) Clarification for the responses provided by SARU and DPU team stating "Entry and Exit data is routinely destroyed after 5 years. We can search for records up to 10 years if specifically required, but cannot guarantee a positive result" and "Also, the e-Borders system only retains data for up to five years so we can not provide any data for journeys made more than five years ago."

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests Mailbox.  

We will endeavour to respond within 2 working days.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

 

Thank you,  

FOI Requests Home Office

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 58424). We will aim to send you a full response by 13/05/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
10 April 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Home Office,

Thank you for your response to request 58424.

In response to request 56603, I was told "API data is held for 10 years. We are unable to provide information on the deletion process as there is a Home Office moratorium preventing the destruction of Information."

Please clarify whether the date of the oldest API record as of March 2020--25th June 2013--is for all records, including those subject to further access controls. Does this also mean that the moratorium--placed in 2015--does not apply to API data as implied in the previous response? I am assuming that when the moratorium was placed, there should have been data going back at least five years at the time (there should have been records from 2010 in 2015).

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests Mailbox.  

We will endeavour to respond within 2 working days.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

 

Thank you,  

FOI Requests Home Office

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 58618). We will aim to send you a full response by 01/06/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

N McKenzie
Home Office

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Subject Access Request, Home Office

Dear Sumsi Timonda,
 
Thank you for your request for clarification of the responses provided by
SARU and DPU team stating "Entry and Exit data is routinely destroyed
after 5 years. We can search for records up to 10 years if specifically
required, but cannot guarantee a positive result" and  "Also, the
e-Borders system only retains data for up to five years so we cannot
provide any data for journeys made more than five years ago."
 
In response to the second part of your FOI request, Case Ref 58424,  I can
advise that the information that was provided is no longer current. At
this time a customer can make 3 types of Subject Access Requests (SAR) if
using the on-line SAR form:
 
[1]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
 
 

 1. Basic Request –

You can request a copy of:

* an electronic summary of your immigration history
* landing cards we hold electronically
* visa applications you submitted from outside of the UK (as part of
entry clearance)
* Workers Registration Scheme (WRS) information if you are a national of
Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and
Slovenia
* Entry and exit into and out of the UK. Your travel history can be
provided for the past 5 years if a passport or travel document is
submitted for this period

Most people find that this option gives them all the information they
need.
 

 2. Specific –

You can request specific information if you need to. You should clearly
describe what documents you need.
You can request copies of up to 5 single documents, for example:

* a list of your applications
* a particular decision letter
* the outcome of an appeal (appeal determination)
* a particular detention progress report
* a deportation order
* a particular interview record

If you need more information than the single documents in this list, you
will need to make a detailed request.
 

 3. Detailed –

This allows you to request a copy of your Home Office paper file.
Initially, you will be sent an electronic summary of your immigration
information (as with a basic application) this gives most people what they
need.
However, this option also allows you to request further information from
your Home Office paper file if the electronic data did not fulfil your
request.
Refining your request to state clearly what paper records you need will
help your application.
The customer can also submit a SAR by e-mailing,
[2][email address] or by writing to us at Subject
Access Request Unit, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon CR9 2BY.
 
When a Basic request is received we will only provide travel history for
the past 5 years. If a Specific or Detailed request is received and the
customer states that they require travel history data for the past 10
years then a 10 year search will be conducted.
 
I would also like to advise that the Home Office border systems hold
records of passenger UK entry and exit data only via scheduled commercial
routes. The accuracy of the information provided is dependent on the
quality of data submitted by the carriers. Any errors or omissions in the
data provided will need to be raised with the carrier that provided the
information.
 
Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.
 
Regards,
 
SARU
 
 
 
 

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References

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1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
2. mailto:[email address]

FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
30 April 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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Dear Home Office,

This is a new FOI request with reference to FOIRs 56603, 57692, 58121, 58424 and 58618.

1) Please clarify the deletion process for API data collected before the moratorium was placed in 2015. Is data automatically deleted or does it have to be manually removed? Similarly, are additional controls on data older than 5 years placed automatically?

2) Paragraph 4.5.5 of the Code of Practice (https://www.statewatch.org/news/2008/may...) which regulates the use of API data storage refers to an automated deletion process from “e-Boc” after five years. The e-Boc never came into fruition. The Code implies that retention periods of greater than five years would only apply when data is extracted/shared. Additionally, Lord Spithead, then then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office told the House of Lords “On the issue of Project Semaphore and how long data will be held, at the moment the information is held for about five years” column 515 https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2008... Please clarify how retention periods for API data have changed between 2004 and 2020.

3) When was the last version of the Code of Practice published? Please provide a copy.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests Mailbox.  

We will endeavour to respond within 2 working days.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

 

Thank you,  

FOI Requests Home Office

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 58918). We will aim to send you a full response by 25/06/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
28 May 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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Dear Home Office,

Thank you for your comprehensive responses to my previous FOIs. I would like further clarification on your response to question 2 of FOIR 58918.

It is not very clear how your retention standards for API and PNR have changed since you started collecting API data. I understand that the code of practice allows retention for up to 10 years. However, the oldest piece of information currently held is from June 2013 which is only seven years old. Please clarify how data retention has changed between 2004 and 2020 in practice. It would be helpful if you clarify whether the automated deletion process underlined in your response to question one has changed or if data less than 10 years old was manually removed at some point. If the automated retention/deletion processes have changed, please identify when they were last changed and under what policies they operated between 2004 until that date.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

We will endeavour to respond to your FoI request within 20 working days as
required under Freedom of Information Act 2000

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 59239). We will aim to send you a full response by 24/07/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
25 June 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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Dear Home Office,

I am writing to request an internal review of my FOI requests related to API data--56603, 57692, 58424, 58618, 58919, and 59239.

The latest response (59239) claims I was provided incorrect information in response to FOIR 58424, specifically the line "“I can confirm that the oldest API record held on Semaphore, as of March 2020, is 25 June 2013." However, this piece of information was also confirmed in response to 58618, specifically "In our original response we said that API data is held for 10 years, with the oldest piece of information being from 2013. This is correct for all records."

These contradictory statements undermine the credibility of all information provided by the Home Office during the course of my FOI requests related to API data. Furthermore, incorrect information was also provided by the DPU team which was later clarified.

The crux of my requests is the retention periods for API data. I would be grateful if the following points can be confirmed and/or clarified during the internal review process:

1) Whether or not there is a "separate storage area" or an "archived database" for storing data older than 5 years. This has been referred to in the ICBI's inspection of exit checks (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk... page 26) and the Deputy CEO of the UKBA's letter to the European Commission (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...).

2) Clarification of statements made by the Home Office related to retention of API data for 5 years, specifically, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security and Counter-Terrorism (Lord West of Spithead)'s statement to the House of Lords: "On the issue of Project Semaphore and how long data will be held, at the moment the information is held for about five years" (https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2008...) and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Meg Hillier)'s statement to a committee of the House of Commons: "I will touch on the length of time that data are retained, which depends on the different agencies. For e-Borders, data are retained for five years." (https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm...)

3) Is there any significance of the date stated response to FOIR 58424 (25 June 2013) for the oldest record in Semaphore? On closer examination, is there any correlation with the coming into force of the GDPR Act on May 25 2018? This would make the oldest data available on that day 4 years and 11 months, corresponding to a 5 year retention period before that day.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

We will endeavour to respond to your FoI request within 20 working days as
required under Freedom of Information Act 2000

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request for an internal review.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 59239). We will aim to send you a full response by 14/08/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

N McKenzie
Home Office

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FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached the response to your request for the internal review
- reference 59239.

 

Kind regards

Information Rights Team

Knowledge and Information Management Unit

Information Services Centre | Seacole | 2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

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Dear Home Office,

Thank you for your internal review.

I wish to make another FOIR and intend to make this this my final request related to API and Semaphore.

1) "Obtaining data older than five years is currently against data protection legislation unless it is specifically for a visa related query." (https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id...) What is meant by "a visa related query" and is this policy still current?

2) Is access to data older than five years, when it becomes subject to further access controls, reason based or role-based, i.e do all results for "a visa related query" include data older than five years or is authorisation from a specific role-based user required before this data may be accessed?

3) If possible, please share the Home Office's policy showing the scenarios where data older than five years are routinely accessed.

Yours faithfully,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Requests, Home Office

Thank you for contacting the Home Office  Freedom of Information Requests
Mailbox.

This is to acknowledge  receipt of your email.

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FOI Requests, Home Office

Sumsi Timonda,

Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref 60735). We will aim to send you a full response by 09/11/2020 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you,

P. Zebedee
FOI Requests
Home Office

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DSAB Technical Delivery Director, Home Office

Good afternoon,
 
The link you provided in Q1 isn’t working for us. Could you please send it
again.
 
Many thanks
 

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Dear DSAB Technical Delivery Director,

The link is working fine for me. Here is another source for the same answer from the Parliament's website: https://questions-statements.parliament....

Yours sincerely,

Sumsi Timonda

FOI Responses, Home Office

1 Attachment

Dear Sumsi Timonda,

 

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request dated
12 October 2020.

 

Please note we are sending this to you by e-mail only.

 

Information Rights Team

Home Office

Third Floor, Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

e-mail: [1][email address]

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]