Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your e-mail request for information regarding details of correspondence with BT about the provision of broadband in the areas of Wales where it would be uneconomical to provide it. This has now been considered under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I am writing to advise you that the Department has searched our records and taken all reasonable steps to locate the information required. Unfortunately, the Department has been unable to locate any information on the subject concerned. So far as we are able to determine, the Department does not hold any correspondence with BT on this subject.

You may wish to note that, with the creation of the National Assembly for Wales, many of the Welsh Office files relating to its former functions were transferred to the care of the Assembly. It may be that such documents, dating back to 1970, have been sent to the National Archive at Kew for permanent storage. I would therefore recommend that you might wish to consider contacting them to see if they may be able to help. Should you wish to write to them, you should address any correspondence to the National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU.

If you are unhappy with the decision made in relation to your request, you are entitled to ask for an internal review. Should you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Alan Cogbill, Director of the Wales Office, at the address below :

Wales Office

Gwydyr House

Whitehall

London

SW1A 2ER

If you are not content with the outcome of any internal review, you also have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me, quoting the above-mentioned reference number in any future communications.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Regan