City Hall  
 
The Queen’s Walk 
 
More London 
 
London SE1 2AA  
 
Switchboard: 020 7983 4000 
 
Minicom: 020 7983 4458 
 
Web:  www.london.gov.uk 
 
 
Our ref:  
 
Date: 
Dear Mr Jennings, 
 
Thank you for your email dated 24 November 2008. 
 
Our response to your request is as follows: 
 
1.  What is the length of the Sky sponsorship contract? 
August 2008 – 20 November 2008 
 
2.  Are/ were there any other sponsorship contracts in place? 
None 
 
3.  How much is Sky paying for the sponsorship? 
This information is exempt due to reasons of commercial confidentiality. Please 
see attached annex for exemption details and reasoning.  
 
4.  How much taxpayers’ money was spent on the event in 2008? 
None 
 
5.  How much council taxpayers ‘ money was spent on the event in 2008? 
None 
 
6.  What consultants, agents or other third parties were used in advising on the Sky 
sponsorship contract? 
None 
 
7.  Are any accounting or financial reserves held against prospective claims against 
GLA/ Mayor of London's office in connection with Sky sponsorship contract? 
None 
 
8.  Could I have a copy of the Sky sponsorship contract (I appreciate that the 
commercial confidential data may need to be redacted). 
Please see attached file. Some of the information you requested is being withheld 
as it falls under the exemption in section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act. 
 
Direct telephone: 020 7983 4100 Fax: 020 7983 4057 Email: [Greater London Authority request email] 

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In applying this exemption we have had to balance the public interest in 
withholding the information against the public interest in disclosing the 
information. The attached annex to this letter sets out the exemption in full, as 
well as the factors the GLA considered when deciding where the public interest 
lay. It also includes a schedule of the information withheld. 
 
If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact me, ensuring that 
you quote the reference at the top of this letter.  
 
 
Yours sincerely,  
 
 
 
Jason Cross 
Marketing Manager 
 
If you are unhappy with the way the GLA has handled your request, you may complain 
using the GLA’s comments and complaints procedure, available at 
http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/comments/index.jsp . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 1 
 
- 2 - 
 

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Exceptions that apply and reasoning 
 
Exemptions to the duty to disclose information 
 
43.- Commercial interests 
 
(2) Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to 
prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it). 
 
Information this applies to 
 
Commercially sensitive information contained within the Sky sponsorship contract and amount 
Sky has paid for the sponsorship. 
 
Public interest test 
 
For the purposes of s.43 Commercial interests, it is a requirement of the Act to conduct a 
public interest test to decide whether it is in the public interest to disclose the requested 
information. 
 
s.43 Commercial inetersts 
For disclosure 
•  There is a general public interest in openness, transparency and accountability of 
public authorities. 
•  There is a specific public interest in transparency of public authorities’ dealings 
with commercial bodies, to demonstrate that such dealings are to the public 
benefit. 
 
Against disclosure 
•  There is a strong likelihood that the prejudice to Sky’s commercial interest 
explained above will be suffered if the information is disclosed to the public.  
•  The degree of prejudice to be suffered is likely to be far-reaching in that Sky 
operates in a highly competitive market place and any disclosure of negotiated 
contract terms will be detrimental to their ability to compete fairly when pitching 
for similar future events. 
•  Disclosure of the information may undermine the ability of the GLA to perform to 
secure best value when negotiating future sponsorship deals. It is not in the 
interests of the public for public bodies that they pay for to be commercially 
disadvantaged. 
•  Disclosure will enable third parties to gain access to strategic commercial and 
business information providing an unfair advantage in negotiations with the GLA. 
•  Disclosure would be likely to impact on the willingness of companies to sponsor future 
events, which would mean either not holding the events (and thereby impacting on the 
effective implementation of some Mayoral policies) or paying for them entirely from the 
public purse, neither of which are in the public interest. 
 
- 3 - 
 

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