guidance given to Labour party over "Banksy" artwork

Ganesh Sittampalam made this Freedom of Information request to Electoral Commission

The request was successful.

From: Ganesh Sittampalam

29 August 2008

Dear Sir or Madam,

I request a copy of any guidance you gave to the Labour party in
connection with a gift made to them of a "Banksy" artwork which was
subsequently sold, as referred to here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7...

If you consider that you should not release this because of fear of
this inhibiting future requests for guidance, please consider the
fact that the Labour party has chosen to mention this guidance in
public, implying that it supported their position, and there is
thus a strong public interest in being able to check this
implication.

Yours faithfully,

Ganesh Sittampalam

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From: Michelanne Wilson
Electoral Commission

29 August 2008

I am currently out of the office on annual leave. I will be back in the office on September 15th. My emails will be checked for freedom of information requests. If you have any urgent queries that need to be dealt with before my return date, please contact my colleague Izabella Evans at [email address] or Marianne Potter at [email address]. Thank you.

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From: Izabella Evans
Electoral Commission

1 September 2008

Dear Sir,

Our Ref: FOI 87/08

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act dated 29
August 2008, requesting a copy of any guidance we gave to the Labour party
in connection with a gift made to them of a "Banksy" artwork which was
subsequently sold, as referred to here:

[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7...

The Commission aims to respond to requests for information promptly and
within the statutory timeframe of twenty working days.

You may expect to receive a reply sent from the Commission by 26 September
2008,

Yours sincerely
Izabella Evans
Legal Officer
The Electoral Commission
Trevelyan House
Great Peter Street
London SW1P 2HW
Tel: 020 7271 0523
Fax: 020 7271 0505
[2]www.electoralcommission.org.uk
[3]www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
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References

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1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7...
2. file://www.electoralcommission.org.uk
3. file://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

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From: Ganesh Sittampalam

26 September 2008

Dear Izabella Evans,

As the 20 working days deadline has passed and you are now in
breach of the law, I request an immediate response to this request.

Yours sincerely,

Ganesh Sittampalam

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From: Izabella Evans
Electoral Commission

29 September 2008

Attachment Advice Auction at the Aquarium Gallery.pdf
35K Download View as HTML

Attachment Essex Road Banksy Painting.pdf
42K Download View as HTML

Attachment Freedom of Information and Environmental Information review procedure.doc
75K Download View as HTML

Dear Sir,

Our Ref: FOI 87 08

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(the Act), dated and received by the Electoral Commission on 29 August
2008. The Commission aims to respond to requests for information
promptly and within the statutory timeframe of twenty working days. We
acknowledge it has taken us a few days longer in this instance.

Your request

I request a copy of any guidance you gave to the Labour party in
connection with a gift made to them of a "Banksy" artwork which was
subsequently sold, as referred to here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7...

Our response

Please find above attachments to information held by the Commission in
relation to your request.

Please note that personal data has been taken out of these documents
under section 40 of the Act and under the Data Protection Act.
If you are not satisfied with this response, please note that the
Commission operates a review procedure, details of which are attached.

Please also note that if you have exhausted all internal Commission
review procedures and you are still not satisfied you have the right to
appeal to the Information Commissioner. Details of this procedure can be
found on the ICO website: http://www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Izabella Evans
Legal Officer
Tel: 020 7271 0523
Fax: 020 7271 00505
[email address]

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