Electronic devices issued to TVL enforecement agents

The request was partially successful.

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

As part of RFI20211450 you were asked: What electronic devices are they issued with? Where held please include model numbers of any devices or equipment.

You responded with
"TV Licensing visiting officers are engaged by Capita, a company contracted by the BBC to
administer the television licensing system. I can confirm that visiting officers are not currently issued with any audio/visual equipment in connection with their enforcement duties. Visiting officers are issued with work mobile telephones which are used solely for communication purposes. ". And that was all you wrote, implying that the ONLY electronic device issued was a mobile phone for communication purposes ONLY.

And yet the BBC's own web site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/londo... clearly shows a TVL investigator holding an electronic device, which you did not mention. Use of this green hand-held device is also shown at https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/..., https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/408356..., https://www.corkbeo.ie/culture/whats-on-..., https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/j... and https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/lo...

While it is not impossible that all of the photos shown in the links above were made purely for publicity purposes as part of TVL's scaremongering, they all show a chap holding some kind of green electronic device, with no indication as to its purpose.

Can I ask then:
1) Why all of those photos show the green hand-held device?
2) What is the purpose of this device? "None at all" or "Scaremongering" are acceptable answers.
3) Why did you say that no electronic devices, other than a phone, were issued when your own publicity contradicts this?
4) Who makes the green device?

In addition, this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaTiAPpD... shows a TVL representative using a stylus record something during his visit. There are many other YouTube videos showing what appears to be an identical device (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2iT-ByC..., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txz8eUHd... [worth a watching if only for the "smack in the face" comment], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA5LG4qb..., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48BNE4LL..., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddk3QpH_... [at 06:27 and 08:10]). This device with an aerial and a large screen seems to be common amongst a lot of TVL visits. Is this the "work mobile phone" to which you refer? If so, what make and model is it? And what "communication" is the stylus being used for in the first video? Question 3 above may apply again.

Yours faithfully,

Mr A Willmore

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

Did you receive this? Does it have an RFI number? An acknowledgement would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Mr A Willmore

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

I have just watched this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/7jKaQkobXDk?t=21

In it, a TVL enforcement officer says "For your own protection I am going to record you", implying that he has a device that will record the conversation. You have stated in your response to RFI20211450 "I can confirm that visiting officers are not currently issued with any audio/visual equipment in connection with their enforcement duties.". The word "currently" in that response is important.

The video dates from 2014. As part of my so far unacknowledged FOI request please also confirm when TVL enforcement officers lost the ability to record conversations electronically.

Yours faithfully,

Mr A Willmore

FOI Enquiries, British Broadcasting Corporation

Dear A Willmore

Apologies for the delay in acknowledging your FOI request.

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as detailed in your email below. Your request was received on 16.10.2021. 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 RFI20211557.

Kind regards,

Information Rights

BBC Freedom of Information
BC2 A4, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP

www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [email address]

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FOI Enquiries, British Broadcasting Corporation

Dear A Willmore,

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as detailed in your email below. Your request was received on 25 October 2021. 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 RFI20211609.

Kind regards,

Information Rights

BBC Freedom of Information
BC2 A4, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP

www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [email address]

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FOI Enquiries, British Broadcasting Corporation

2 Attachments

Dear Mr A Willmore, 

 

Please find attached our response to your request for information
reference RFI20211557.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Information Rights

BBC Legal

BC2A4, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TP

 

 

FOI Enquiries, British Broadcasting Corporation

2 Attachments

Dear A Willmore

 

Please find attached the response to your request for information,
reference RFI20211609.

 

Kind regards

 

Information Rights

 

BBC Freedom of Information

BC2 A4, Broadcast Centre

201 Wood Lane

London W12 7TP

 

[1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi

Email: [2][email address]

 

 

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