Home Office acknowledges request for Internal Review regarding Terrorism Act 2000 Section 44 Authorisation Notifications FOIA request
Another small milestone in the bureaucratic Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process - we have an acknowledgement from the Home Office that they will be conducting an Internal Review of their decision to refuse the FOIA request, and into the delays in responding to it. - see the previous blog entry.
Until such an Internal Review is completed, you cannot make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office regarding your FOIA request.
Note that even if the Home Office relents, and decides to disclose the information on the geographical extent and the times and dates of Terrorism Act 2000 Section 44 to 46 Authorisation Notifications, which authorise the controversial "stop and search" without "reasonable suspicion" temporary legal powers.
N.B. We did not request any National Security sensitive background intelligence briefing material, which is what the Home Office claimed would be revealed. That would be far in excess of what is actually required in the actual Authorisations which Chief Police Officers have to Notify to the Home Secretary, under Section 46 Duration of Authorisations
We will reply as soon as possible and certainly aim to send you a full response within 40 working days of our receiving your request. You should receive this response by 10 April.
The observant readers of this blog will notice that this information will very likely not be public until after the forthcoming debates in Parliament on the latest Counter-Terrorism Bill 2008
The emailed letter (Microsoft Word document attachment):
Home Office
Information Rights Team
Shared Services Directorate
2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF
Switchboard 020 7035 4848 Fax: 020 7035 4745 Textphone: 020 7035 1040
E-mail: Info.Access@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk
[name]
[address][email]
Our Ref: CRnnnn
Date: 20 February 2008Dear {XXX]
Thank you for your letter, dated 11 February, in which you ask for an internal review of the handling of the Freedom of Information request you made last November together with a review of the decision not to disclose any of the requested information regarding the Terrorism Act 2000.
We will now undertake an internal review of the Department’s handling of your request. This review will be undertaken in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and personnel not involved in responding to the original request will conduct the review.
We will reply as soon as possible and certainly aim to send you a full response within 40 working days of our receiving your request. You should receive this response by 10 April.
If you have any queries about the handling of your information request please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
[civil servant]