Cambridge Media and Environment Programme

Bishop Hill made this Freedom of Information request to British Broadcasting Corporation

The request was refused by British Broadcasting Corporation.

From: Bishop Hill

15 December 2008

Dear Sir or Madam,

According to this archived page of your website, the BBC funds
something called the Cambridge Environment & Media Programme
(hereafter CEMP). I have found it very difficult to locate any
information about this body.
http://web.archive.org/web/2005030902040...

I would know:

(a)Annual amounts paid to CEMP since 2001.
(b)The name and position of the person(s) responsible for
authorising expediture with CEMP since 2001. Here I am thinking of
the person who commits the BBC to the expenditure.
(c)I would then like to see any internal documents produced by or
sent to the people named in (b) where these relate to CEMP.
(d)Any information relating to the legal status of CEMP would also
be useful.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

16 December 2008

Dear Mr Montford

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, about the Cambridge Media and Environment
Programme, which was received on 15th December. We shall deal with your
request as promptly as possible and, at the latest, within 20 working
days. If you have any queries about your request please contact us at
the address below.

The reference number for your request is RFI20081439.

Kind regards.

The Information Policy and Compliance Team BBC Freedom of Information

Room 2252, BBC White City, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS, UK

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

16 January 2009

Dear Mr Montford

I am writing to advise that unfortunately we are not in a position to
provide you with a response to your requests for information made under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This is due to the fact
that Roger Harrabin has been abroad and then on leave for much of the last
six weeks and is now tied up with pressing stories. I apologise for this
delay in providing you with a response but can assure you that we are
working on these requests.

If we have been unable to send a response by Friday 30 January 2009, we
will write again to update you on the progress of your requests.

I apologise again for the delay.

Yours sincerely

BBC Information Policy and Compliance

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252, White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK

Website: [1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [2][BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398

[3]http://www.bbc.co.uk
This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal
views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated.
If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system.
Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in
reliance on it and notify the sender immediately.
Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received.
Further communication will signify your consent to this.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi
2. mailto:[BBC request email]
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/

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From: Bishop Hill

19 January 2009

Dear FOI Enquiries,

This response is simply not credible. Almost every point on this
request can be responded to without any recourse to Roger Harrabin
whatsoever. The only possible exception is the final point on the
legal status of CMEP. Would you please send me responses to the
other points immediately. I will expect to receive these by return.

The answer to the legal status of CMEP should be discernable with a
single email or a telephone call to Mr Harrabin. I would point out
that since the BBC is now in breach of the law, you should be able
to get senior executives at the BBC to encourage a speedy response
from Mr Harrabin. Could you please therefore also inform me, by
return, which senior members of BBC staff you have asked to help
you in resolving this unfortunate illegality by the Corporation. I
would appreciate hearing how they intend to deal with the
apparently lengthy process of telephoning Mr Harrabin.

Once again, I would remind you that the Corporation is in breach of
the law and this request therefore requires the highest priority.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: Bishop Hill

21 January 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

Could you please respond to my previous message.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

21 January 2009

Dear Mr Montford,

I sent the following response to your alternate email address yesterday
(Tues 20th) at 11.26am:

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Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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From: Bishop Hill

21 January 2009

Dear FOI Enquiries,

Thank-you for your reply. You seem to be confusing two separate FoI
inquiries. If you navigate to the top of the thread, you will see
that I am asking about the CMEP information which is overdue.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

21 January 2009

Dear Mr Montford

Thank you for your message below, in relation to your requests about the
Cambridge Media & Environment Programme, our references RFI20081439 &
1440. I apologise for the confusion with your other request, RFI20081349,
which was on another subject.

I can confirm that your previous message, dated 19th January, was
received. I apologise again that we have not yet been able to provide the
response to your request and have exceeded the 20-working-day deadline set
by the Act, but confirm that we are working on your requests and will
respond as soon as possible. The senior member of staff working on your
request is the Head of Editorial Compliance, BBC News.

Yours sincerely

BBC Information Policy and Compliance
Room 2252, 2nd Floor, White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK

Website: [1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [2]mailto:[BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398

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From: Bishop Hill

21 January 2009

Dear FOI Enquiries,

Could you please ask the head of Editorial Compliance to contact me
directly. I would like an explanation of:

i) why a simple request like this has taken so long - these are
simple facts and figures which should be readily assembled in less
than an hour;
ii) what information is at hand so far, and why you have failed to
release it to me;
iii) what resources you are using to complete the request;
iv) when you expect the request to be completed;

Could also please send me the name and position of the person to
whom the head of Editorial Compliance reports.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

22 January 2009

Dear Mr Montford

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, about the person to whom the head of Editorial
Compliance reports. Your request was received on 21 January 2009. We will
deal with your request as promptly as possible, and at the latest within
20 working days. If you have any queries about your request, please
contact us at the address below.

The reference number for your request is RFI20090098.

In relation to your other questions, these are not requests for recorded
information which the BBC holds. The BBC is not required by the Act to
create new information to answer requests under the Act. I can however
confirm that, as stated in our previous emails, we are currently working
on your request and hope to have a response to you no later than 30th
January.

Kind regards

The Information Policy & Compliance Team

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252, BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS

[1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [2][BBC request email]

Tel: 020 8008 2882
Fax: 020 8008 2398

[3]http://www.bbc.co.uk
This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal
views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated.
If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system.
Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in
reliance on it and notify the sender immediately.
Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received.
Further communication will signify your consent to this.

References

Visible links
1. file://www.bbc.co.uk/foi
2. mailto:[BBC request email]
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/

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From: Bishop Hill

22 January 2009

Dear FOI Enquiries,

Could you please respond to the rest of my message of yesterday.
Will the head of editorial compliance be contacting me to answer
these other questions?

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

22 January 2009

Dear Mr Montford

Thank you for email, repeated below.

In relation to your other questions, as we have explained, these are not
requests for recorded information which the BBC holds. The BBC is not
required by the Act to create new information to answer requests under
the Act. I can however confirm that, as stated in our previous emails,
we are currently working on your requests and hope to have a response to
you no later than 30th January.

If you are not satisfied once you receive the response to your FOIA
requests you have the right to an internal review by a BBC senior
manager or legal adviser. Should this be the case, you may contact us at
this address, 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

The Information Policy and Compliance Team

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252
BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK

Website: www.bbc.co.uk/foi/
Email: mailto:[BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398

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Mr Ormerod left an annotation (23 January 2009)

I think the BBC have failed to realise that any message from the applicant expressing dissatisfaction at how their request has been handled should be treated as a request for an internal review.

If I were you I would immediately demand an internal review regarding this delay, then your 'complaint' questions will be considered (without the BBC pretending they are FOI requests for non-recorded information).

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From: Bishop Hill

23 January 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of British Broadcasting
Corporation's handling of my FOI request 'Cambridge Media and
Environment Programme'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ca...

This is a simple request for an extremely limited quantity of
information, which could be readily assembled in a matter of hours.
I don't think there is any plausible reason for failing to supply
the required information in the legally specified timeframe, other
than an unwillingness to comply with the law.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

27 January 2009

Attachment RFI20081439 final response.pdf
84K Download View as HTML

Attachment Great Global Switch Off Oxfam IBT Polis Report.pdf
579K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Montford

Please find attached the response to your requests - reference numbers
RFI20081439, RFI20081440 and RFI20090098 - considered under the terms of
the Freedom of Information Act. Please accept our apologies once again
for the delay in issuing this response.

In our email to you of 22 January we advised that if you are not
satisfied once you receive the response to your FOIA requests you have
the right to an internal review by a BBC senior manager or legal
adviser. Subsequently, thank you, you wrote back requesting an internal
review (please see your email repeated below). However, in cases such
as these where the Act does not apply, the Information Commissioner's
Office has agreed that requesters may appeal directly to them if they
are unhappy with the response. The contact details once again 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,

F Kersey
Adviser, Information Policy and Compliance

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252
BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK

Website: www.bbc.co.uk/foi/
Email: mailto:[BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398

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From: Bishop Hill

28 January 2009

Dear Stephanie,

Thanks for your reply which was extensive.

It will probably not surprise you to learn that I intend to appeal
this decision to the ICO. In order to make this complaint as clear
as possible I would appreciate some clarification.

You state that my requests (I refer only to the first two) are not
covered by the Act. Would I be right in assuming that you are
invoking the derogation for "Information held for journalistic
purposes". If not, what grounds are you invoking? I note in passing
that the ICO has ruled on a number of occasions that financial
records of the BBC are not exempt from disclosure under this part
of the Act, and therefore wonder also if you believe that there is
something about the particular circumstances of this request which
means that the precedent set by the earlier rulings does not apply.

I would also appreciate some clarification on the part of your
response where you talk about the payments made for venue hire for
CMEP meetings. My request asked for amounts paid to CMEP. Is it
your position that the amounts paid were zero (because payments all
went to third parties) and that you have therefore answered my
request? Or are you saying that you are covered by the derogations
discussed above and therefore do not need to reply?

Thanks again.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Montford

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From: FOI Enquiries
British Broadcasting Corporation

28 January 2009

Dear Mr Montford

Thank you for your email, repeated below.

I can confirm that the information you sought in your requests is not
covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As we have explained,
your requests fall outside the scope of the Act because the BBC and the
other public service broadcasters are covered by the Act only in respect
of information held for purposes "other than those of journalism, art or
literature" (see Schedule I, Part VI of the Act). To clarify, Schedule
I, Part VI of the Act is also referred to as the derogation.

We are not therefore obliged to supply information held for the purposes
of creating the BBC's output or information that supports and is closely
associated with these creative activities. Information which is not
subject to disclosure under the Act because of Schedule I might
otherwise be exempt from disclosure because of the application of other
provisions of the Act.

Kind regards,

F. Kersey
Adviser, Information Policy and Compliance

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252
BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK

Website: www.bbc.co.uk/foi/
Email: mailto:[BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
British Broadcasting Corporation only: