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DRAFT

Mr David Moss  

Email:  XXXXXXXXXX

Reference:  FOICR 13728 /10

Date:  4 February 2010

Dear Mr Moss

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

I am sorry that we are still unable to reply substantively to your email of 6 January in which you asked to be provided with a copy of the detailed report of the competitive trials developed and run by IBM.  Your request has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I confirm that we are still considering your request.  Although the Act 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 Act 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 exemptions in sections 31(1)(a) and 43(2) of the Act, which relate to law enforcement and commercial interests respectively  These are 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 3 March.

If you have any queries about the handling of your information request then please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Yours sincerely

H Reid

Freedom of Information Team