Robert Parker
By email to littlelou [xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx]
2 May 2008
Dear Mr Parker
RFI 20080356 - Freedom of Information request Thank you for your email of 6 April 2008 requesting:
“could you please tell me and other licence payers how much you are planning to spend sending over 400
people to bejing.”
Information regarding planned staff figure and budgets is not covered by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (“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). 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.
It is intended that we will publish details regarding the number of BBC employees who went to
Beijing to cover the Olympics, following the end of the games. However, please note that we
consider that information about the cost of sending employees to Beijing, even after the
conclusion of the games, will be outside the scope of the Act, and in any case would be
commercially prejudicial.
BBC1 and BBC2 will dedicate approximately 300 hours to the Beijing Olympics over 17 days, plus
2,450 hours of interactive coverage from BBCi. BBC Radio’s 5Live and 5Live Sports Extra will
bring round-the-clock news, commentary and coverage with the majority of the stations' output
coming live from Beijing.
For more information about how the Act applies to the BBC please see www.bbc.co.uk/foi.
Please note that this guidance is not intended to be a comprehensive legal interpretation of how
the Act applies to the BBC.
The BBC makes a huge range of information available about our programmes and content on
bbc.co.uk. We also proactively publish information covered by the Act on our publication scheme
and regularly handle requests for information under the Act.
The BBC does not offer an internal review when the information requested is not covered by the
Act. If you disagree with our decision you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. Contact
details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF telephone 01625 545 700.
http://www.ico.gov.uk
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Hunter
Senior Lawyer, BBC Sport
