British Identity

Dear Mr Simpson

FOI CASE:119106

Thank you for your request for information about promoting the British
identity, which was received on 9 June 2009.

Your request read "please release all documents held since 2007 on
promoting and defending British identity. With the rise of extremism and
separatism across the United Kingdom, what is this department doing to
combat the biggest threat to this country. Since devolution, does this
department still maintain authority over the whole of the United Kingdom
when it comes to promoting British identity, or is this now restricted to
devolved administrations giving them the ability to promote alternative
identities in an attempt to undermine British identity and the United
Kingdom. Does this department hold any information on a possible day to
celebrate Britain as once suggested by the current Prime Minister. If any
details on this are held please release them all."
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000.
We aim to reply to your request within 20 working days following the day
on which we received your request.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Regards,
Sharon Lewry
FoI Central Team
Public Engagement and Recognition Unit

Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH
Tel: 0207 211 6307
Website: [1]www.culture.gov.uk
DCMS aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and
sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion
the tourism, creative and leisure industries

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Simpson,

Thank you for your email of 9 June 2009 requesting information on the
promotion and defence of British Identity.

I am dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(`the Act'). The Act gives you the right to:

* know whether we hold the information specified in your request and, if
that is the case,
* to have that information communicated to you, subject to the
provisions of the Act.

In order to best answer your question I broke it down into four separate
parts:

1. British identity Under the Freedom of Information Act, please release
all documents held since 2007 on promoting and defending British identity.

Section 12 of the Act makes provision for public authorities to refuse
requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed
the appropriate limit, which for central government is set at £600. This
represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3.5 working days in
determining whether the department holds the information, locating,
retrieving and extracting the information. Unfortunately much of the work
that we do would be considered as information relating to the promoting
and defending of British identity, and therefore the amount of work
required to extract the information you have requested would exceed the
cost limit. If you could narrow your search to be more specific then we
would be pleased to look into this further for you.

2. With the rise of extremism and separatism across the United Kingdom,
what is this department doing to combat the biggest threat to this
country.

For the 2nd part of your question I should explain that the Home Office is
responsible for the Government's counter terrorism strategy (Contest).
Like a number of departments, DCMS, our delivery bodies, and sectors, work
with the Home Office in supporting and delivering specific aspects of the
counter terrorism strategy.

DCMS contribution has mainly been in relation to the `Prevent' workstream
of the strategy, which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or
supporting violent extremism. Schemes have ranged from the Museums and
Libraries Archives Council project on managing controversial material in
public libraries, to the British Library `Sacred' exhibition which sought
to show the common ground of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Further information about the Government's counter-terrorism strategy,
including the full Prevent strategy, can be found online at
[1]http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/counte..., or you
may wish to contact the Home Office FOI team directly via their website at
[2]http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/fr....

3. Since devolution, does this department still maintain authority over
the whole of the United Kingdom when it comes to promoting British
identity, or is this now restricted to devolved administrations giving
them the ability to promote alternative identities in an attempt to
undermine British identity and the United Kingdom.

For the 3rd part of your request I would recommend that you contact the
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as the DCMS is not the lead Department on
devolution. Again you may wish to contact their FOI team directly via
[3]http://www.justice.gov.uk/requestinginfo....

4. Does this department hold any information on a possible day to
celebrate Britain as once suggested by the current Prime Minister. If any
details on this are held please release them all. Thank you"

For the 4^th part of your question I would again recommend contacting the
Ministry of Justice who have taken the lead on this issue. If you contact
them via the link the link above they should be able to assist you.

The Department does hold some information related to this issue, but this
is likely to be of marginal interest given the framing of your wider
comments (we hold a number of emails discussing which department is best
placed to take the lead). If you would like to see this information then
please let me know.

If you need any help or advice or have any questions about this letter,
please contact me. Please quote the above reference number in any
communications.

If you are unhappy with the way DCMS has handled your request you are
entitled to ask for an internal review of its handling within two calendar
months of the date of this letter. If you wish to make a complaint you
should contact: FOI Central Team, Public Engagement and Recognition Unit,
Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y
5DH

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Bell
Freedom of Information Team
Public Engagement and Recognition Unit
020 7211 2304

show quoted sections

I am currently out of the office for the rest of the day, and my emails are not being forwarded. I will be back on Wednesday 15th July.

Regards,
Stephen Bell

show quoted sections

I am on leave until 31 August. If your email requires any action by the DCMS, please forward to [email address]

Regards,
Stephen Bell

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Simpson,

Currently I believe you have two outstanding FoI requests with us.

Please find attached our response to your request on British Identity
(124700). I hope this answers much of your request, but if you need
anything more please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
With regards to your request on a British Armed Forces Day (117057) I
really must apologise as we are still not in a position to provide you
with an answer. Unfortunately due to the nature of your request and
consequently the wide group of people we have to consult this is still an
ongoing process, and so I am afraid I must extend it again. I have now
taken the lead on this case and I shall try to get a response to you as
soon as possible. Once again, please accept my apologies.

If there is anything else I can help you with in the meantime please do
not hesitate to contact me.

Stephen Bell
Freedom of Information Team
Public Engagement and Recognition Unit

show quoted sections