Freedom of information

Freedom of information requests

13728 – request to have IBM report on biometrics published
Background: 7 April 2009	Home Office press release – IBM awarded £265 million contract to develop system to manage biometrics for UK government ID cards, passports and visas/residence permits
Background: 7 October 2009	Safran Group press release – Sagem Sécurité awarded contract by IBM to provide biometric technology following competitive trials conducted by IBM
6 January 2010	Freedom of Information request to the Identity & Passport Service (IPS), an executive agency of the Home Office, to have IBM report published
13 January 2010	Acknowledgement from IPS
12 February 2010	Holding letter #1 from IPS explaining that delay in disclosing IBM report is due to consideration of matters of law enforcement and commercial interest
Background: 23 February 2010	Meeting at the Home Office at which, among other things, it was explained that the Home Office provided the biometric data for IBM's trial and that the trial was to be discussed at a NIST international conference on biometric performance testing, 2-4 March 2010
4 March 2010	Holding letter #2 from IPS explaining that delay in disclosing IBM report is due to consideration of matters of law enforcement and commercial interest
4 March 2010	Email to IPS urging disclosure for several reasons
17 March 2010	Response from IPS. The request is denied on grounds of commercial interests, commercial confidence, immigration control and crime-fighting. The option is offered of an internal review of the handling of the request
3 April 2010	Request for internal review submitted to Home Office Information Access Team urging disclosure for several reasons
17 June 2010	Internal review letter and report received from Home Office Information Access Team. Conclusion is that the IBM report should not be disclosed. The option is offered to complain to the Information Commissioner
Background: 24 June 2010	Friendly email from one of the attendees at the 23 February meeting incorrectly stating that the 13728* questions had been answered at that meeting*
1 July 2010	Complaint submitted to the Information Commissioner's Office
7 August 2010	Acknowledgement from the Information Commissioner's Office
15 October 2010	Holding letter from the Information Commissioner's Office
1 March 2011	Decision Notice FS50320566 received from the Information Commissioner's Office. Non-disclosure decision upheld, IBM had signed non-disclosure agreements with unnamed suppliers and must abide by them, other grounds for non-disclosure not investigated
28 March 2011	Appellant's Notice of Appeal against Decision Notice submitted to the Information Rights First-tier Tribunal
28 March 2011	Notice of Appeal accepted by the Information Rights First-tier Tribunal. The progress of the Appeal, no. EA/2011/0081, can be watched on the Information Rights Tribunal website, where the list of current cases is updated fortnightly.
27 April2011	Information Commissioner's Response to Appeal received (rule 23).
3 May 2011	Initial directions received from Tribunal Judge.
9 May 2011	Notification received from Treasury Solicitors' Department that Home Office will "join"/become a party to the case.
10 May 2011	Appellant's Response to Commissioner's Response submitted (rule 24).
20 May 2011	Home Office Response received.
23 May 2011	Initial directions received from Tribunal Judge.
24 May 2011	Emails sent by Appellant, Tribunal
25 May 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal, Commissioner, Home Office (X3), Appellant
26 May 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal (X2), Home Office
27 May 2011	Emails sent by Home Office, Appellant, Tribunal (X2)
31 May 2011	Appellant's Response to Home Office's Response
1 June 2011	Email sent by Commissioner
2 June 2011	Emails sent by Appellant (X2), Home Office (X2) and Commissioner (X3)
3 June 2011	Email sent by Tribunal
9 June 2011	Directions received from Tribunal
10 June 2011	Email sent by Commissioner, 1st draft, open bundle index
17 June 2011	EA/2011/0081 to be determined on the papers, beginning 21 September 2011.
18 June 2011	Email sent by Appellant
20 June 2011	Email sent by Tribunal
5 July 2011	Email sent by Appellant (2nd draft open bundle index), Home Office
8 July 2011	Email sent by Commissioner
10 July 2011	Email sent by Appellant (X3)
11 July 2011	Email sent by Appellant (X5), Commissioner, Home Office
15 July 2011	Open bundle received from Commissioner, email sent by Appellant (X2), Home Office, Commissioner, Tribunal
18 July 2011	Witness Statement on behalf of the Appellant, email sent by Appellant, Home Office, Tribunal
19 July 2011	Email sent by Appellant
20 July 2011	Tribunal members and Hearing date confirmed, two Witness Statements on behalf of the Home Office (Keane 1 and 2, and Swain), email sent by Home Office, Appellant
25 July 2011	Appellant's Response to new material submitted on and after 15 July 2011
28 July 2011	Email sent by Commissioner, new index for Open Bundle
5 August 2011	Email sent by Treasury Solicitors
24 August 2011	Submissions made by Commissioner and Treasury Solicitors, email sent by Appellant
25 August 2011	Emails sent by Treasury Solicitors and Appellant
26 August 2011	Email sent by Tribunal (X2)
30 August 2011	Email sent by Treasury Solicitors
2 September 2011	Emails sent by Commissioner and Appellant (X2)
5 September 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal, Treasury Solicitors and Appellant (X3)
6 September 2011	Email sent by Treasury Solicitors
15 September 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal (3) and Appellant
20 September 2011	Submission by Appellant, emails sent by Tribunal, Treasury Solicitors, Commissioner
21 September 2011	Hearing 'on the papers', i.e. no Parties present, email sent by Appellant
22 September 2011	Email sent by Appellant
23 September 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal and Appellant
1 November 2011	Emails sent by Appellant and Tribunal
7 November 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal and Appellant. Six weeks after the first Hearing, the Tribunal say that their draft Decision has not been agreed and the Panel will have to be re-convened. No date for the next hearing is available.
16 November 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal and Appellant. Panel has met for a second time. Judge requires a further Submission from Respondent(s) by 26 November 2011 to finalise provisional views.
25 November 2011	Email sent by Commissioner
28 November 2011	Submission made by Second respondent
1 December 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal and Appellant. The Panel will be convened for a third time, on 9 December 2011
12 December 2011	Email sent by Tribunal suggesting a one-day oral Hearing, emails sent by Commissioner and Home Office
13 December 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal and Commissioner
14 December 2011	Email sent by Appellant
16 December 2011	Emails sent by Tribunal and Home Office
9 January 2012	Email sent by Tribunal confirming date and place of oral Hearing
31 January 2012	Emails sent by Tribunal confirming date and place of oral Hearing
7 February 2012	Email sent by Appellant
11 February 2012	Email sent by Appellant
15 February 2012	Email sent by Tribunal
16 February 2012	Submission made by Appellant
17 February 2012	Emails sent by Tribunal (2), Home Office, Appellant (2)
19 February 2012	Email sent by Appellant
20 February 2012	Submissions made by Commissioner and Home Office, and witness statement submitted, emails sent by Appellant (2) and by Commissioner
21 February 2012	Email sent by Appellant (3), Tribunal
22 February 2012	Email sent by Appellant
23 February 2012	Email sent by Appellant (2), Tribunal
24 February 2012	Oral hearing
6 March 2012	Email sent by Tribunal. The Panel has sat for a fourth time for a Hearing on the papers (+ 1 oral Hearing makes five Hearings so far)
8 March 2012	Email sent by Home Office
22 March 2012	Email sent by Tribunal
26 March 2012	Email sent by Tribunal
13 April 2012	Emails sent by Appellant (2) and Tribunal
24 April 2012	Emails sent by Tribunal, attaching Decision
25 April 2012	Email sent by Appellant
26 April 2012	Email sent by Tribunal
30 April 2012	Email sent by Home Office
1 May 2012	Email sent by Commissioner
2 May 2012	Emails sent by Tribunal, Appellant
21 May 2012	Application submitted for permission to appeal against the majority Decision of 24 April 2012
22 May 2012	Confirmation from Tribunal that permission to appeal is being considered by a Judge
23 May 2012	Press release issued by Appellant
11 June 2012	Permission refused. Since the Tribunal refers to the application to appeal form in its Refusal Decision at §2, a redacted copy with the Appellant's address, telephone numbers and signature removed is now made available here.