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correspondence between BERR/DBIS and Kip Meek 01.01.06 - 31.06.06
To Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by Phillip Main 29 July 2009
Meetings between Kip Meek and BERR
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Dates of meetings between Home Office and Kip Meek
To Home Office by Phillip Main 28 May 2009
Dates of meetings between PM's office and Kip Meek
To Prime Minister’s Office by Phillip Main 18 April 2009
Kip Meek, European Commission, Phorm
To Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by P. John 10 July 2009
Correspondence between BERR/DBIS and Kip Meek 01.07.2006 to 01.2007.07
To Department for Business, Innovation and Skills by Phillip Main 10 August 2009
TalkTalk: Unlawful Surveillance of Internet Users
To Home Office by P. John 26 July 2010
Payment for services of Kip Meek
To Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by Stephen Hayes 17 April 2009
Phorm/Second Phase of European Commission Infringement Case 64/08/INSO
To Cabinet Office by P. John 29 December 2009
Appointment of Kip Meek
P. John made this Freedom of Information request to South West Screen
The request was partially successful.
From: P. John
6 July 2010
Dear South West Screen,
"The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 requires South West
Screen, in common with other public bodies, to adopt and maintain a
policy which relates to the provision and publication of
information which falls under the FOI Act 2000".
Kip Meek was recently appointed chairman of South West Screen.
Mr. Meek is an non-executive Director of Phorm Inc, a company whose
business model depends on the unlicenced exploitation of copyright
protected creative works, interception of private/confidential
personal and commercial communications, and industrial
espionage.(*)(**)
Phorm Inc are presently subject to a Crown Prosecution Service and
Police inquiry following unlawful covert trials of their technology
on 200,000 people and the businesses that served them (***).
Tim Berners Lee said of such technology; "It is essential to have
absolute clarity that it is illegal." (****)
Kip Meek is also a director of Ingenious Media, with
responsibilities including support for private equity and corporate
finance capabilities. The company are presently subject to a tax
investigation by HMRC that has been going on since February
(*****).
Please could you disclose to me
- How many other applications were received for the same post at
South West Screen
- What interview and selection process was conducted
- Who was responsible for selecting and appointing Kip Meek as
Chairman of South West Screen
- Please could you disclose on what date Kip Meek notified South
West Screen that he was a Director of the Company Phorm Inc
- Please disclose on what date Kip Meek notified South West Screen
that Phorm Inc were subject to a criminal investigation by the CPS
and Police
- Please disclose on what date Kip Meek notified South West Screen
that he was employed by Ingenious Media as a private
equity/corporate finance advisor
- Please disclose on what date Kip Meek notified South West Screen
that Ingenious were subject to an HMRC investigation
I would like to understand why you consider someone like him an
appropriate candidate for his present role.
Yours faithfully,
P. John
(*) FIPR Legal Analysis of Phorm;
http://www.fipr.org/080423phormlegal.pdf
(**) FIPR Intellectual Property Law and Phorm:
http://www.fipr.org/0811SCLarticle.pdf
(***) Cops back in on BT/Phorm case;
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/17/...
(****) Sir Tim Berners Lee on Phorm;
http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/NoSnoopin...
(*****) HMRC widens Ingenious Media probe to include all film
schemes backed by celebrities;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article...
From: P. John
13 July 2010
Dear South West Screen,
please could you acknowledge my freedom of information request,
concerning the appointment of Kip Meek, sent to you a week ago
(link below).
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ap...
You are legally required to respond promptly, and in any event not
later than 5 August 2010. (See The Freedom of Information Act 2000,
s10).
Yours faithfully,
P. John
From: Mehjabeen Price
South West Screen
13 July 2010
Thanks for your email. Due to unforeseen circumstances I will be out of
the office until further notice. If your query is urgent please contact
Shereene Amer on 0117 9338927 or [email address].
Thankyou
Mehjabeen
From: Polly Gitsham
South West Screen
13 July 2010
Dear P. John
As you already know Mehjabeen is currently out of the office due to unforeseen circumstances. However, if you provide us with a correspondence address we will be able to respond to your request in writing.
Many thanks
Polly
Polly Gitsham | PA to Chief Executive
South West Screen | St Bartholomews Court | Lewins Mead | Bristol | BS1 5BT
(t) 0117 952 9982 (f) 0117 952 9988
(e) [email address] (w) www.swscreen.co.uk
show quoted sections
From: P. John
13 July 2010
Dear Ms. Gitsham,
I'd be grateful if you'd reply via WhatDoTheyKnow.
WDTK makes it very easy for me (and you) to keep track of the
status of outstanding FoI requests.
While writing, can I draw your attention to Phorm's most recent
accounts? Kip Meek holds 100,000 share options in Phorm, at a
vesting price of £2.43p.
Mr. Meek has a personal (and substantial) financial interest in the
unlicenced exploitation of copyright protected creative works,
interception of private/confidential personal and commercial
communications, and industrial espionage.
The conflict of interest with his role at South West Screen
(promoting the interests of content creators) is stark.
I look forward to receiving your reply promptly.
Yours sincerely,
P. John
From: P. John
23 July 2010
Dear South West Screen,
thank you for your response.
I note reports in today's press;
"Meek is resigning his Broadband Stakeholder Group chairmanship
plus his directorship with Phorm and his full-time Ingenious Media
directorship to take this role." (*)
I'm astonished it would have taken Kip Meek (and apparently you) so
long to recognise and address the inherent collision of interest
between his various roles.
And disappointed you and Kip Meek chose to conceal that pertinent
and relevant information from me in your reply.
Yours faithfully,
P. John
(*)http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-con...
P. John left an annotation (23 July 2010)
23 July 2010
"Phorm, Inc., (AIM: PHRX and PHRM), today announces that Kip Meek intends to step down as non-executive director of the Company in order to take up the position of Chairman of Project Canvas. The Company thanks Kip for his service and wishes him luck in his new role. The Company expects to announce a replacement in due course."
http://www.iii.co.uk/investment/detail/?...
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
P. John left an annotation (23 July 2010)
-----------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr John
We write in response to your email of July 6 2010 regarding the recruitment of our new Chairman Kip Meek.
In your email you refer to the Freedom of Information Act and whilst South West Screen is a not-for -profit organisation, it is not, under the terms of the Act, a Public Body. This has been confirmed by our founding organisation, the UK Film Council. However, we subscribe to a commitment to working transparently and are therefore happy to provide a response.
South West Screen advertises for its board members in a number of ways – via our e-bulletin which goes out to over 3,500 subscribers; in local and national newspapers and journals, and via the Public Appointments Website http://publicappointments.cabinetoffice..... We also take recommendations from our board members and stakeholders, including the UK Film Council and the South West Regional Development Agency.
We began the recruitment process for a new Chairman on 11 January 2009. As a result of the recruiting campaign we considered six individuals – including Kip Meek. Recruitment for all new board members is carried out by the incumbent Chairman and the CEO who meet and interview prospective board members and decide whether or not to recommend them to the board. Mr Meek was interviewed twice by the CEO and the Chairman on 30 September 2009 and 9 December 2009.
Mr Meek was open about his directorships – and disclosed them at the first meeting. South West Screen’s retiring Chairman and CEO could see no conflict of interest between these positions and those of a board member of South West Screen.
During the selection process Mr Meek did not refer to the specific matters on which you make allegations. The board have since discussed the allegations with Mr Meek and, taking account of all the information we have, we do not believe that it was necessary for him to have raised these matters at the time of his recruitment and selection, nor do we now believe that they affect his suitability for the chairmanship of South West Screen.
In appointing members to our board – and specifically with regard to appointing a new Chairman - South West Screen looks for candidates who can demonstrate excellent judgement and a high level of integrity. On accepting a place on South West Screen’s board, directors agree to comply with the organisation’s stated aims of openness, impartiality, integrity, and objectivity in all aspects of their work. In addition, they are obliged to declare conflicts of interest, not to accept benefits from related third parties and to declare any interest in proposed transaction or arrangement; we have structures in place to offer guidance on all of these matters.
We are therefore confident we are taking all reasonable measures to recruit the most suitable and able candidates possible.
Thank you for contacting South West Screen with your queries. As stated above, South West Screen is not deemed a public body under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, but we are happy to respond in the spirit of openness outlined in this letter. We trust the information contained in this letter satisfies all your questions.
Yours sincerely
Mehjabeen Price
Director of Finance and Operations
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