HMRC use of Verify

The request was partially successful.

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

I'd like to request documentation relating to HMRC's decision making around Verify, the platform built by GDS.

Please could you provide:
1. Submissions relating to Verify by HMRC Civil Servants.
2. Business case documentation relating to HMRC's use of Verify.
3. Documentation explicitly concerned with HMRC's decision to stop using Verify.
4. Communication (emails etc.) and schedule of meetings with the HMRC DG, to/with GDS relating to Verify from 2012 - 2014.

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Wells

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

Our ref: FOI2020/00279

Dear Hugh Wells,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement

Thank you for your communication of 6th February which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.

We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.

The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.

Yours sincerely

HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

Dear Hugh Wells,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 6th
February.

Yours sincerely,

HMRC Freedom of Information Team

Hi,

Thank you for your email.

I appreciate your response and note regarding the scope and time involved to process the request. Therefore please note the following clarifications.

> Where you ask for submissions relating to Verify it is not clear what type of submissions are being requested or to whom.

Submissions to the Minister responsible for HMRC. I'm unsure of the volume of these, but if it is deemed to be large please narrow the scope to between 2012 to 2014.

> The request for business case documentation could link to the actual business case
or supporting documentation. Additionally this could link to a range of HMRC services
which may have referenced Verify’s existence in some form (though not in the context
of evaluating or commenting on it as a service).

Please provide actual business case documentation relating explicitly to HRMC's assessments and use of Verify. I'm unsure why this should provoke a question? It is not necessary to provide documentation that only references Verify in passing, but the intention of the request is to look at decisions HMRC has made around which services to use Verify on.

> The communication (email etc) and meeting records between 2012 and 2014 relate to
staff who no longer work within HMRC and, if/where archived, will require material
time and effort to search for any reference to the requested subject. That means we
would have to review every record in every possible storage location to identify
related records.

Please provide material assessment of why you consider this to exceed the cost limit. I am happy to adjust the scope if required.

Best,

Hugh

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

Our ref: FOI2020/00531

Dear Mr Wells,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement

Thank you for your communication of 4th March which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.

We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.

The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.

Yours sincerely

HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

5 Attachments

Dear Mr Wells,

We are writing in response to your request for information, received 4
March.

Yours sincerely,

HMRC Freedom of Information Team