PROTECT

19th November 2013

Case Reference Number FS50519635

Dear Mr Gallagher Your information request to The Cabinet Office Thank you for your correspondence of 6 November 2013 in which you complain about the above public authoritys failure to respond to your information request. When considering complaints about delayed or failed responses to information requests our priority is to ensure requesters receive a response as quickly as possible where one has not been provided, and to monitor any persistent trends which might indicate that a public authority is routinely failing to respond within the statutory timeframe. We monitor complaints where a serious contravention of section 10 is recorded and where persistent contraventions occur we will consider placing a public authority on our monitoring programme (http://www.ico.org.uk/what_we_cover/promoting_openness/monitoring_ compliance.aspx ). I have written to the public authority to provide them with a copy of your original request, reminding them of their responsibilities and asking them to respond to you within 10 working days of receiving our letter. I enclose a copy of my letter to the public authority for your information. If you do not receive any response within 10 working days, please contact us. The late response will be recorded and as described will form part of our on-going activity to consider the performance of public authorities and the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner does not need to serve a decision notice in an individual case in order to use that case as evidence for future enforcement action. Should you wish the Information Commissioner to issue a decision notice for your specific complaint we are able to do so.

If the public authority responds and refuses to release the information you have asked for and you are dissatisfied, you may, after exhausting their internal complaints procedure, complain to us again. Thank you for bringing these concerns to the attention of the Information Commissioner. If you require any further assistance then please contact me on the number below. Yours sincerely [NAME REMOVED] Case Officer First Contact Group Telephone 01625 xxxxxx

PROTECT 19th November 2013 Case Reference Number FS50519635 Dear Sir/Madam Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) Complaint from Ryan Gallagher Information request dated 24 September 2013 I refer to my telephone conversation of today with [NAME REMOVED] regarding the complaint the Information Commissioner has received from Mr Gallagher stating that no response has been sent to an information request submitted to your organisation on 24 September 2013 which you have said was received. A copy of the request is attached. Any public authority in receipt of such a request is under a duty to respond within 20 working days of receipt. As you have not responded but have acknowledged receipt of the request, please now respond within 10 working days of receipt of this letter. You should state whether or not the information is held in a recorded form. If it is held, you should either provide the information or issue a refusal notice in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act or regulation 14 of the Environmental Information Regulations as appropriate. You can find more information on

refusal notices contained in the guidance issued by the Commissioner which is available at: http://www.ico.org.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information /detailed_specialist_guides/fes016_refusing_a_request_v1.pdf http://www.ico.org.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information /detailed_specialist_guides/fep058_refusing_a_request_v1.pdf In the event of other, similar complaints, the Commissioner may consider taking enforcement action under section 52 of the Act. Finally, you should be aware that the Information Commissioner often receives requests for copies of the letters we send and receive when dealing with casework. Not only are we obliged to deal with these in accordance with the access provisions of the DPA and the Freedom of Information Act 2000, it is in the public interest that we are open transparent and accountable for the work that we do. For further advice on how to deal with information requests, please visit our website at www.ico.org.uk, or you can contact me on the number below. Please quote the case reference number from the top of this letter. Yours faithfully [NAME REMOVED] Case Officer First Contact Group Telephone 01625 xxxxxx