After sending the Home Office a reminder email last Friday14th (which produced an "Email Displayed" type read receipt - N.B. we always set our email software to request such optional email receipts), pointing out that they had (yet again) failed to reply to a Freedom of Information Act request within the Statutory 20 working days. they sent a postal letter dated Monday 17th December 2007, which arrived today Friday 21st December 2007.
See the previous blog posting :- Home Office - Terrorism Act 2000 Section 44 Authorizations.
This short letter promises a full response "within the next month" i.e. perhaps 9 weeks after the original FOIA request of 14th November 2007.
This sounds moderately promising. It would be extraordinary if the Home Office refused to publish these Terrorism Act section 44 Authorisations, which are necessary to put the extensive statistics which they do publish, about the tens of thousands of fruitless stops and searches without reasonable cause for suspicion. for terrorist related itmes, into more detailed geographical and chronological context.
Given that jobsworth private security guards have been reported as falsely claiming that the area or building which they are working at is supposedly covered by such Authorisations (which only give powers of stop and search to Police Constables in Uniform), we feel that the Home Office, or local Police forces, should publish maps on their public websites, showing the boundaries of areas which are currently subjected to such Authorisations, and to the extraordinary and exceptional powers which they grant.
Home Office letter:
Home Office
Drect Communications Unit
2 Marsham Street Lonndon, SW1P 4DF
Switchboard: 020 7035 4848 Fax: 020 7035 4745 Textphone: 020 7035 4742
E-mail: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk[name]
[address]17 December 2007
Dear XX
Thank you for your letter of 14 November 2007 regarding your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. You asked five questions about the Terrorism Act 2000.I am sorry but we are not yet in a position to provide you with the information you are seeking. I hope to be able to provide you with a full response within the next month.
Yours sincerely
[signature]
[name of civil servant]
13 weeks now since this FOIA request was submitted/
7 weeks since the promise above for a "full response within the next month".
What is so difficult about responding within the 20 working days laid don by law ?