Our Ref: FOI3136

 

 

 

Dear Mr Gullen

 

Freedom of Information: Right to know request

 

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act), for the following information.

 

“I seek the following information:

 

- Complete minutes for all meetings specifically about 'Bitcoin' or where
'Bitcoin' is mentioned or refered to (Bitcoin is an online digital crypto
currency)”

 

I am writing to let you know that we are having difficulty in processing
your request.  To help us to accurately meet your request can you please
provide us with a time frame for your request.  This will then enable us
to carry out our searches.

 

Once I have these details your request will be processed in accordance
with the Act.

I will be unable to proceed with your request without clarification of the
information you wish to receive.

 

Please note that under guidance issued by the Ministry of Justice and the
Information Commissioner's Office entitled "Freedom of Information &
Environmental Information Regulations - Hints for practitioners handling
FOI/EIR requests", the following advice has been given with regard to the
clarification of requests:

 

"The day after the clarification is received by the public authority the
20 working day period begins" (page 14).

 

I have attached the link to the Guidance for your information:

 

[1]http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

 

The 20 working day period will therefore commence once we have received
sufficient clarification to allow us to deal with your request.

 

If I do not receive a response within 10 days of this letter I shall
assume that you no longer wish to pursue your enquiry and will therefore
close your request.  In such an event, you would need to submit a new
Freedom of Information request for any information you wish to receive.

 

If you have any queries please contact me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Information Access Team

Financial Conduct Authority

 

 

Susan Currington

Associate / Information Access Team / Finance and Operations

[2]Description: Description: FCA_

Financial Conduct Authority

25 The North Colonnade

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5HS

 

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7066 7192

[3]www.fca.org.uk

 

 

This communication and any attachments contains information which is
confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. It is for intended
recipients only. If you are not the intended recipient you must not copy,
distribute, publish, rely on or otherwise use it without our consent. Some
of our communications may contain confidential information which it could
be a criminal offence for you to disclose or use without authority. If you
have received this email in error please notify [email address]
immediately and delete the email from your computer.

 

The FCA reserves the right to monitor all email communications for
compliance with legal, regulatory and professional standards.

 

This email is not intended to nor should it be taken to create any legal
relations or contractual relationships. This email has originated from

 

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

25 The North Colonnade,

Canary Wharf,

London

E14 5HS

United Kingdom

 

Registered as a Limited Company in England and Wales No.1920623.

Registered Office as above

 

Switchboard: 020 7066 1000

Web Site: http://www.fca.org.uk

*****************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...
3. http://www.fca.org.uk/

Dear Mr Gullen

Thank you for providing the time frame for your request, which will now be processed.

Just to make you aware that this request is going to be taken forward under the Freedom of Information Act and not the Data Protection Act. A request will only be processed under Data Protection if the requester is asking for information about themselves.

I hope this makes sense, but please contact me if you have any further questions using the [email address] e-mail address.

Kind Regards

Susan Currington
Associate / Information Access Team / Finance and Operations

Financial Conduct Authority
25 The North Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5HS

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7066 7192
www.fca.org.uk

show quoted sections

Our Ref: FOI3136

 

 

Dear Mr Gullen

 

Freedom of Information: Right to know request

 

We refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the
Act”), for   information relating to Bitcoin.

 

““I seek the following information:

 

- Complete minutes for all meetings specifically about 'Bitcoin' or where
'Bitcoin' is mentioned or referred to (Bitcoin is an online digital crypto
currency)”

 

On the 3 October 2013 you refined your request as follows:

 

“I would like the time frame to include:

 

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009”

 

Your request has now been considered and I can confirm that we hold
information which falls within the scope of your request.  However, we are
not able to disclose this information to you because this is (or contains)
information which the FCA has received for the purpose of carrying out its
regulatory functions under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
("FSMA"), and which it is prohibited from disclosing by virtue of section
348 of that Act.  As a result, the following exemption applies:

 

·             Section 44 (Prohibitions on disclosure)

 

Section 44(1)(a) of the Act provides that information is absolutely exempt
if its disclosure (otherwise than under the Act) is prohibited by or under
any enactment.  Section 348 of FSMA restricts the FCA from disclosing
"confidential information" it has received except in certain limited
circumstances (none of which apply here).

 

Confidential information for these purposes is defined as non-public and
non-anonymised information which relates to the business or other affairs
of any person (without their consent) and which was received by the FCA
for the purposes of, or in the discharge of, any of its functions under
FSMA and which is not in the public domain.

 

Disclosure of any such confidential information, without the consent of
the provider of the information, or, if different, the consent of the
person to whom the information relates is in breach of section 348 of FSMA
and is a criminal offence.

 

Section 44 is an “absolute” exemption, and so it is not necessary to
balance the public interests for and against disclosing the information.

 

In addition, we are not able to disclose some of this information to you
because disclosure of the material requested would be likely to prejudice
the United Kingdom’s relations with another State, and therefore the
following exemption applies:

 

·             Section 27 (International relations)

 

Section 27(1) exempts from disclosure information we hold if its
disclosure would be likely to prejudice the United Kingdom's relations
with another State.  This will relate to such instances where
collaboration has been sought from overseas regulators.

 

This exemption is qualified and we have balanced the public interest for
and against disclosure as required by the Act.

 

In favour of disclosure

 

·                 There is a public interest (in terms of transparency) in
favour of our international work, including discussions with the European
Commission and other foreign entities, being made publicly available.

 

Against disclosure

 

·                 It is vital, and clearly strongly in the public
interest, that the United Kingdom (through the FCA) is able to have open
and candid exchanges of information and views with the European
Commission, overseas regulators or other foreign entities on financial
services regulatory matters, in particular, concerns around financial
crime.

 

Please note that Bitcoin themselves are not a currency and therefore are
outside of the FCA’s regulatory remit.  Furthermore, the firms that
provide Bitcoin “exchange” services are not currently carrying on a
regulated activity.

 

If you are unhappy with the decision made in relation to your request, you
have the right to request an internal review.  If you wish to exercise
this right, you should contact us within three months of the date of this
letter.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you also
have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

Telephone:    01625 545 700

Website:       [1]www.ico.gov.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Information Access Team

Financial Conduct Authority

 

 

 

 

Susan Currington

Associate / Information Access Team / Finance and Operations

[2]Description: Description: FCA_

Financial Conduct Authority

25 The North Colonnade

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5HS

 

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7066 7192

[3]www.fca.org.uk

 

 

This communication and any attachments contains information which is
confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. It is for intended
recipients only. If you are not the intended recipient you must not copy,
distribute, publish, rely on or otherwise use it without our consent. Some
of our communications may contain confidential information which it could
be a criminal offence for you to disclose or use without authority. If you
have received this email in error please notify [email address]
immediately and delete the email from your computer.

 

The FCA reserves the right to monitor all email communications for
compliance with legal, regulatory and professional standards.

 

This email is not intended to nor should it be taken to create any legal
relations or contractual relationships. This email has originated from

 

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

25 The North Colonnade,

Canary Wharf,

London

E14 5HS

United Kingdom

 

Registered as a Limited Company in England and Wales No.1920623.

Registered Office as above

 

Switchboard: 020 7066 1000

Web Site: http://www.fca.org.uk

*****************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
3. http://www.fca.org.uk/