‘Neil’
By Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
20 August 2009
Dear Sir,
Request for Information – RFI 2009 1119
Thank you for your email of 26 July, requesting information under the auspices of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (“the Act”). I am writing in order to seek clarification from you on a number of
the points that you raise in your letter.
An extract from the TV Licensing system, aggregated to include the location, license status,
information regarding disputes/visits under Code B. (Though if all fields can be provided (except for
those that hold information that may be exempted), then that would be preferred.) Relating to the
calendar period 1 January 2005 – 1 July 2008.
We are unsure as to whether we understand your question. In particular, we are unsure as to what
you mean by (i) ‘the TV Licensing system’ (in this context); and (ii) ‘Code B’ because these are not
terms with which we are familiar. Please could you therefore clarify precisely what information it is
that you are seeking from us.
You also state:
Ideally I would like the location unit to be ‘postcode’ but if this is not practical then under your
section 16 duty to advise and assist I would expect you to contact me to discuss how you record
this geospatial data so that I may narrow my request in a way that works for both of us. (I note
that in FOI RFI200800070 it is noted that such detail is held).
As a supplementary, under section 16, I would also ask that you provide some detail about the
recording processes relating to TV Licenses. E.G. What software is used? What data fields are used?
What other data sets/systems it links to (for instance, does it pass details to a system that writes
the automated reminder/enforcement letters), etc.
We assume that this supplementary statement relates to the request above, the precise nature of
which we have asked you to clarify; we await your response.
Your request is on hold until you provide further clarification in respect of the above. The period
during which a request is on hold is not included in the 20 working-day target for us to respond. We
will close your request if we have not heard back from you after 20 working days from the date of
this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Neil Gardner
Senior Policy Adviser, TV Licensing Management Team