10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

by **Tony Bennett** 09.08.10 23:57

97 working days since I asked the Home Office my 12 questions on the Madeleine McCann case -

77 working days (nearly 16 weeks) later than the 20 days normally allowed.

by Draco 10.08.10 0:28

Can't you jump into your car and drive to the HO. Do a sit-in until you've got an answer.
Or perhaps threatening you'll start a hunger strike might help? It sure would get attention of the journalists.

by Judge Mental 10.08.10 1:54

Draco wrote:Can't you jump into your car and drive to the HO. Do a sit-in until you've got an answer.
Or perhaps threatening you'll start a hunger strike might help? It sure would get attention of the journalists.

@ Draco
One is sure that a great many people will take inspiration from your creative thinking. Would one be so kind as to lead the way, and show some of us how to do it properly and to maximum effect?

@ Tony Bennett

It will be interesting to find out if the length of time you have had to wait is some kind of a record. If so, one could apply to have it placed in the Guinness Book Of Records. More than one or two people in Brussels were expressing their concerns more than a month ago.

by kangdang 10.08.10 11:05

by Draco 11.08.10 23:02

@ JM

No.

by Guest 11.08.10 23:06

by kangdang 11.08.10 23:20

by kangdang 11.08.10 23:22

For Tony, the string quartet version of Sum 41's Still waiting

by listener 12.08.10 0:06

I think that the 'powers that be' have (so far) been successful in putting this case to bed.

The BIG question is WHY?

by Judge Mental 12.08.10 0:23

Draco wrote:@ JM
No.

One thought not 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...) 110921

by **Tony Bennett** 12.08.10 0:23

So, here it is, the 100th working day since my FOI Act requests to the Home Secretary back on 19 March. And still no reply forthcoming.

That's a full 80 working days later than the normal maximum permitted by law of 20 days.

And it's actually 146 actual days...getting on for half a year.

I began thinking about how to mark the various stages in the wait for the eventual Home Office letter, and I came up with this:

“We want a big event to raise awareness that the FOI Act questions are still unanswered…It wouldn’t be a one-year anniversary, it will be sooner than that. We have no doubt that we will be able to sustain a high profile for the non-appearance of the answers to these questions in the long-term”.

by Judge Mental 12.08.10 1:27

“We want a big event to raise awareness that the FOI Act questions are still unanswered…It wouldn’t be a one-year anniversary, it will be sooner than that. We have no doubt that we will be able to sustain a high profile for the non-appearance of the answers to these questions in the long-term”.

Now, now Tony Bennett. As much as one always enjoys reading your letters and questions, we have to remember there are people who will consider it blasphemy that you dare to use the words of wotsisname.

One wonders whether one could be sued for the above. Please tell me that you are absolutely sure Team McCann have not copyrighted or trademarked the very words that fall from their mouths.

One wonders how long it will be before we are taxed on the words tapas, cuddle-cat and forensics.

by aiyoyo 12.08.10 3:54

Judge Mental wrote:“We want a big event to raise awareness that the FOI Act questions are still unanswered…It wouldn’t be a one-year anniversary, it will be sooner than that. We have no doubt that we will be able to sustain a high profile for the non-appearance of the answers to these questions in the long-term”.

Now, now Tony Bennett. As much as one always enjoys reading your letters and questions, we have to remember there are people who will consider it blasphemy that you dare to use the words of wotsisname.

Don't be silly, and dont give them idea, surely no words can be exclusive...even words of 'not to be mentioned lord voldemort."

One wonders whether one could be sued for the above. Please tell me that you are absolutely sure Team McCann have not copyrighted or trademarked the very words that fall from their mouths.

One wonders how long it will be before we are taxed on the words tapas, cuddle-cat and forensics.
Mccanns related forensics you mean? That will bring world media attention no less!

Events to celebrate Home Office Tardiness should be useful to remind people that "Home Office Reply is still missing" and people should continue searching and looking for "Missing Reply".

Private Investigators (not dodgy ones) should be dispatched to HO and throughout govt authorities to search for "Missing reply".

Are we going to get:

"Missing reply" will be home by this Christmas; or

"Missing reply" is held captive by corrupted officials; languishing in a lair of drawers in the lawless Home Office Dungeon.

p.s. TB, I believe the required deadline to reply can be legally extended to 40 days as stated in Ian Lister's letter. Beyond that, the legality becomes an issue?

by **Tony Bennett** 12.08.10 7:25

There is an ongoing investigation into the missing Home Office replies to the 12 questions - but I am afraid I simply cannot disclose further details for operational reasons.

ETA: Tuesday 17 August:
103 working days of waiting
151 actual days
since my Home Office FOI letter of 19 March

ETA: Saturday 28 August:
111 working days of waiting
162 actual days
since my Home Office FOI letter of 19 March

by **Tony Bennett** 10.09.10 11:25

Tony Bennett wrote:There is an ongoing investigation into the missing Home Office replies to the 12 questions - but I am afraid I simply cannot disclose further details for operational reasons.

ETA: Tuesday 17 August:
103 working days of waiting
151 actual days
since my Home Office FOI letter of 19 March

ETA: Saturday 28 August:
111 working days of waiting
162 actual days
since my Home Office FOI letter of 19 March

Today, 10 September, is 120 working days since I asked my FOI Act Questions (the first 12, anyway) on the Home Office's involvement in the Madeleine McCann case. It's also 175 actual days or just a few days shy of 6 months.

The person dealing with my requests has been Ian Lister, Head of the Freedom of Information Act Section at the Home Office. Unfortunately he did not reply to reminder e-mails sent to him on 4 July, 29 July and 30 August, some of which also contained additional FOI Act questions.

Today I telephoned and spoke to Ian Lister's Line Manager, a Ms Sarah Goddard, Senior Executive Officer with the Home Office's Information Access Team.

I am told that a response is in preparation and will be posted to me 'imminently'.

I'll post the response on The Madeleine Foundation website, www.madeleinefoundation.org.uk and of course here.

ETA: Friday Friday 10 September:
120 working days of waiting
175 actual days
since my Home Office FOI letter of 19 March

by Judge Mental 10.09.10 16:00

It is to be hoped that we are not fobbed off because of 'national security issues'.

Not since the case of the the Guildford 4 has one seen such skulduggery and collusion amongst so many departments of the government, the police and the judiciary.

Whatever is being covered up is quite obviously illegal and immoral and the people involved must be powerful enough to keep it covered. Little wonder that Brown chose to go to Leicester personally and to deal with the Portuguese personally.

by kangdang 10.09.10 16:10

Draco wrote:Can't you jump into your car and drive to the HO. Do a sit-in until you've got an answer.
Or perhaps threatening you'll start a hunger strike might help? It sure would get attention of the journalists.

Now this is just kind of action I love. :yahoo:

by kangdang 10.09.10 16:18

The Home Office postponed an FOI release of research on drugs policy because it wanted "to avoid a focus on the gaps in the evidence base" on the effect of its strategy.

Officials also advised ministers that their decision on disclosure had to take into account the risk that the information could be used to criticise government policy.

Home Office civil servants have inadvertently revealed this to the BBC in a separate freedom-of-information response in which they left in material clearly intended for deletion.

The delayed disclosure involved the Drugs Value for Money Review, an analysis carried out in 2007 into the effectiveness of government spending on combating drug use. This was requested under freedom of information in early 2008 by Transform, a group which campaigns for drugs to be legalised under a system of regulation.

The report was eventually released [5.11MB PDF] in January this year [2010], but until then the Home Office had been maintaining that publication was against the public interest. At first it refused completely, then it agreed in principle but argued that it wanted to wait until a related National Audit Office report was also ready.

Full article http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/2010/06/home_office_error_reveals_how_foi_request_handled.html

by Rainbow 10.09.10 17:07

kangdang wrote:
Draco wrote:Can't you jump into your car and drive to the HO. Do a sit-in until you've got an answer.
Or perhaps threatening you'll start a hunger strike might help? It sure would get attention of the journalists.

Now this is just kind of action I love. :yahoo:

Will we be seeing you in the Sunday papers then?

by kangdang 10.09.10 17:22

You already have, you just don't realise it, in fact I have made the 6 o'clock news before big grin

by Rainbow 10.09.10 17:31

Doubt it,I dont have a TV and I dont read the papers!

by kangdang 10.09.10 17:39

by Judge Mental 10.09.10 18:12

Rainbow wrote:
kangdang wrote:
Draco wrote:Can't you jump into your car and drive to the HO. Do a sit-in until you've got an answer.
Or perhaps threatening you'll start a hunger strike might help? It sure would get attention of the journalists.

Now this is just kind of action I love. :yahoo:

Will we be seeing you in the Sunday papers then?

It is a proven fact that direct action is the single most effective way to get a message across to the public.

Would The Madeleine Foundation have been so well-known had the BBC and Express not tried to trash the Foundation's leaflet drop around Rothley? The immediate aftermath brought a surge of support that was positively overwhelming, Indeed it would be fair to say that some residents of Rothley and the surrounding area have become some of the most ardent supporters of The Madeleine Foundation, despite the filth and bile spewed out daily by the conspiratorial abduction theorists who would wish to thwart any attempts to get to to the truth.

@ Rainbow

Would one be correct in the assumption that you are not really sitting on the fence every day at all?

by Rainbow 10.09.10 21:50

Really?

No

by Judge Mental 10.09.10 23:36

Rainbow wrote:Really?

No

One thought as much never mind

Just mind how you go, for there are some sharks out there.

10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

"We have no doubt we will be able to sustain a high profile for the non-appearance of the answers to these questions in the long-term”.

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Operational reasons.

Home Office response to FOI questions 'imminent'

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

Re: 10 SEP 2010 - REPLY TO HOME OFFICE F.O.I QUESTIONS IMMINENT (was: So tired, tired of waiting...)

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