John Robertson
London Development
Agency
Palestra
197 Blackfriars Road
London SE1 8AA
[FOI #23192 email]
T 020 7593 8000
F 0207593 8002
www.lda.gov.uk
11 December 2009
[London Development Agency request email]
FOI 441
Dear Mr Robertson,
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
We refer to your email dated 13 November 2009 requesting the following information:
“1. How much did the 2009 competition cost per year in grant money to Ethical Fashion
Forum and others?
2. How much will the 2009 competition cost, very roughly, in management and publicity costs
to the LDA, and business support to the four winners?
3. Does the business case take account of damage to UK clothes and footwear
manufacturers caused by promoting these candidates in competition for newspaper space
and contacts?
4. Does the Forum publicise the names of suppliers to the designers, or does it keep them
private?
4. What is the full text of the business case for spending?
5. Are there any plans to write clauses into funding contracts with the Ethical Fashion Forum
contract, asking contestants to account of the LDA's duties to promote employment in London
and the UK under the Greater London Authority Act of 1999?”
Duty to Confirm or Deny
We do hold some of the information of the description specified in your request.
Information Held
1. How much did the 2009 competition cost per year in grant money to Ethical Fashion
Forum and others?
The Ethical Fashion Forum received a total of £45,000 of LDA funding for Innovation 2009 by
way of a letter of agreement with the British Fashion Council.
2. How much will the 2009 competition cost, very roughly, in management and publicity
costs to the LDA, and business support to the four winners?
There were no direct management, publicity or business support costs to the LDA for
Innovation 2009. See question 1 above for the total grant awarded to Ethical Fashion Forum.
3. Does the business case take account of damage to UK clothes and footwear
manufacturers caused by promoting these candidates in competition for newspaper
space and contacts?
The LDA does not hold this information; please contact Ethical Fashion Forum for this
information:
Ethical Fashion Forum:
Telephone
: 020 7739 7692
Email
: [email address]
Rich Mix, Unit C02
35-47 Bethnal Green Rd
London E1 6LA
4. Does the Forum publicise the names of suppliers to the designers, or does it keep
them private?
The LDA does not hold this information; please contact Ethical Fashion Forum for this
information (please see contact details above).
4. What is the full text of the business case for spending?
The LDA does not hold a business case for spending for Innovation 2009. However, the
stated project Goals are as follows:
To:
1. Collaborate with other London sustainable fashion initiatives, including Estethica,
Ethical PURE, and the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (LCF), to promote London as
the world’s number 1 destination for inspirational sustainable fashion.
2. Engage with leading fashion colleges and their graduate programmes & create an
incentive for the most talented fashion designers & graduates to work in accordance
with sustainable principles.
3. Ensure increasingly exciting pool of talent feeding into Estethica and Pure & cement
London’s reputation as an incubator for new talent in the ethical fashion arena.
4. Gain international press and media coverage for the competition element and its
winners
5. Improve the business performance of the designers supported through the project
6. Leverage private funding through sponsorship to allow the project to continue
independently.
5. Are there any plans to write clauses into funding contracts with the Ethical Fashion
Forum contract, asking contestants to account of the LDA's duties to promote
employment in London and the UK under the Greater London Authority Act of 1999?
The LDA does not hold this information. The terms of contracts entered into by the British
Fashion Council is not a matter that the LDA would have any involvement with however the
arrangements that the LDA enters into with the British Fashion Council, and other direct
recipients of LDA funding, are all made pursuant to the LDA’s statutory functions in the
Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 which include the power to promote employment in
Greater London.
Complaint Procedure
If you are not satisfied with our reply to your request, you may lodge a complaint with the LDA
Public Liaison Unit at the postal address above or by email at [London Development Agency request email]. Your
complaint will be considered by a senior management staff member and you will receive a
reply to your complaint within 20 working days.
Should you remain dissatisfied after receiving our reply to your complaint, you may apply to
the Information Commissioner to determine whether your request was dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
Yours sincerely,
Public Liaison Unit
LONDON DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Document Outline
