A Hunter
Via email: [FOI #4587 email]
30th January 2009
Dear Mr Hunter,
Request for Information – RFI20090077
Thank you for your request of 14 January 2008 in response to our reply to your previous request
RFI20081408 which we have dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 seeking
the following information:
Thank you for your reply, in which you stated that you do not currently have the membership list. My
question also asked whether any BBC personnel department, representative or official ever held or accessed
the membership list since it became available on the internet in the course of their duties. Please let me
know if that is the case.
In your request RFI20081408 you requested:
I would like to clarify my request to state: Can you please let me know if the BBC Personnel / Human
Resources department currently has or previously acquired this list?
In our response we stated:
The list you refer to is not held by any HR department within the BBC.
I believe your latest request relates to your earlier request which we responded to under RFI20081398 on
8th December. In that request you asked:
In November 2008 a list (Hereafter referred to as 'The List') of around 13,000 names and home
addresses, alleged to be members of the British National Party, were posted on an Internet website.
1) Can you let me know if any department of the BBC currently has a copy of 'The List'?
2) Can you let me know if any department of the BBC has previously held a copy of 'The List' but has
subsequently destroyed or deleted it?
3) If the answer to question 1) or 2) above indicates that The BBC currently has, or previously had, a copy
of 'The List', can you please detail how this came to be in the BBC's possession? In other words, how did the
BBC physically acquire either the electronic or physical 'hard copy' copy of 'The List'?
We responded to that request stating that the information you requested was outside the scope of the Act
because the Act only applies to information held for purposes other than our journalism, art or literature.
We interpreted your request to be programme making departments and therefore did not consider your
request in relation to non-programme making departments, such as our HR and finance departments.
I am now interpreting your request to refer to whether any BBC personnel department, BBC personnel
representative or BBC personnel official ever held or accessed the membership list since it became
available on the internet in the course of their duties.
We have re-checked with all the BBC HR teams and can confirm that no-one in these teams has ever held
or accessed the list in the course of their duties. Additionally, no was instructed to access the list in the
course of their duties.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Appeal Rights
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to an internal review by a BBC senior manager
or legal adviser. Please contact us at the address above, explaining what you would like us to review and
including your reference number. If you are not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to the
Information Commissioner. The contact details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700 or see http://www.ico.gov.uk/
Kind Regards
Louise Wright
Advisor, Information Policy & Compliance
