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davidmiller@strath.ac.uk

Freedom of Information Request – our reference 11685

7th July 2009

Dear Professor Miller,

Thank you for your e-mail in which you ask for:

a) “a list of the title of all documents 2007/8 as part of this series. In

particular RICU/01/07 – RICU/20/07 (or whichever is the last in the
series for that year along with all for 2008), and;
b) A note of the function/type/significance/role/intended audience of these
documents.”

We are now in a position to offer a full reply to your request.

I am pleased to be able to disclose to you some of the information that you

requested. This is set out in the table below:

Number Title Note on function or role of paper and intended

audience
RICU- Overview Introduction and overview of RICU’s embryonic
01-07 role and remit for Whitehall partners
RICU- The Communications For Whitehall partners: setting out RICU’s role in
02-07 Challenge countering the terrorist narrative
RICU- Core Counter For all CT communicators: guidance on effective
03-07 Terrorism Language communication with British Muslim audiences.
and Messages
RICU- Co-Ordinated Short paper discussing RICU’s remit to co-
04-07 Communications ordinate government communications work.
RICU- Islam the Basics Paper looking at Origins, Beliefs, Everyday
05-07 Practices, History, and Sects of Islam and Islam
and Culture.
RICU- Communications Grid Forward look at events that might impact CT
06-07 wd 25 June 07 Comms
RICU- UK Muslim Short paper looking at media consumption by
10-07 Communities Media Muslim communities (audience No 10)
Consumption Note
RICU- Framing the Debate Short paper discussing the importance of careful
11-07 (Hearts and Minds) use of language to engage people better in
discussion
RICU- Counter Terrorism (Unclassified version of RICU 03/07) For broader
12-07 Communications range of communicators: guidance on effective
Guidance communication with British Muslim audiences.
RICU- Communicating For CT communicators at national, local and
15-07 Shared Values international level: Preliminary RICU guidance on
understanding and communicating possible
shared values.
RICU- Muslim Grievances For CT officials and wider delivery audience
16-07 beyond immediate CT community: guidance on
identifying and addressing a range of political and
socio-economic issues exploited as “Muslim
issues” in the promulgation of a terrorist
narrative.
RICU- CT Bill 2000 Guidance for those with responsibility for
19-07 communicating or discussing the Counter
Terrorism Bill. It consolidates RICU
communications analysis and advice around the
Bill, including recommendations on how best to
communicate proposals, focussing in particular on
pre-charge detention.
RICU- Terrorism what do we For Whitehall, local and international partners:
21-08 call it think piece on defining and talking about the
nature of the terrorist threat facing the UK and its
underlying ideology, without apportioning undue
blame onto particular communities or a religion.
RICU- RICU Evaluation Paper discussing how RICU can evaluate if it is
22-08 Framework focusing on the right activities and if it is having a
positive impact on relevant outcomes

The documents whose details are not provided in the above table are:

RICU-07-07
RICU-08-07
RICU-09-07
RICU-13-07
RICU-14-07
RICU-17-07
RICU-18-07
RICU-20-07

As set out above, the details of these documents are withheld in reliance on
section 24(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Section 24(1) of the FOIA provides that information can be withheld where
exemption from disclosure is required for the purpose of safeguarding national
security and where the public interest falls in favour of non-disclosure.
Considerations which favour the disclosure of the requested information in
this case include the promotion of openness and transparency in government,
the benefits of greater public knowledge regarding matters of national security
and the particular public interest in further information being put in to the
public domain regarding the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act
2005.

The considerations in favour of releasing information in respect of which

section 24(1) is considered to be engaged do need to be balanced against
those favouring maintaining the exemption. While we understand the benefits
in public accountability we consider that these are significantly outweighed in
this case by the need to ensure that ongoing national security concerns are
not prejudiced by the disclosure of some of this requested information. There
is very clearly a strong interest in maintaining national security. The
Information Commissioner has made clear that the public interest factors
protecting information relevant to national security are significant and can only
be overridden in the most exceptional circumstances. I am satisfied that the
public interest favours the withholding of information covered by this
exemption in this case.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent
internal review of our handling of your request by submitting your complaint
within two months to the below address quoting reference 11685.

Information Rights Team

Information and Record Management Service
Home Office
4th Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Email: info.access@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

During the independent review the department’s handling of your information

request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you
with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review,
you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as
established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act, all
information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. The
department therefore, will be simultaneously releasing to the public the
information you requested together with any related information that will
provide a key to its wider context.
I hope that you find this information of interest, and would like to assure you
that you have been supplied with all disclosable information that the Home
Office holds. Where information has been withheld, I would like to assure you
that we have considered the application of exemptions with great care in this
case.

Yours sincerely,

J. Fanshaw