Rural broadband business case

Dear Mike

We write with reference to your information request of 7 October in which
you asked:

“I would like to request under the FOI Act a copy of the Treasury 5 case
outline business case (OBC) for the rural broadband contracts that were
subsequently all awarded to BT.”

We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(the Act) and can confirm that we do hold information that falls within
the scope of your request.

The Department does however consider that some of this information may be
exempt from disclosure under Section 43 (commercial interests) of the Act.
Under the Act, we need to consider, taking into account all the
circumstances of the case, whether the balance of the public interest lies
in our providing you with the information or in maintaining the exemption
and withholding the information. 

We regret that DCMS has not yet reached a decision on the balance of
interest. We apologise for the delay, and  will write to you again as soon
as we can but by no later than 3 December.

Yours sincerely

[1]cid:image001.png@01CE41D8.92FDC8D0  

Freedom of Information Team

4^th Floor, 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ
[2]cid:image002.jpg@01CE41D8.92FDC8D0[3]@dcms 
[4]cid:image003.jpg@01CE41D8.92FDC8D0 [5]/dcmsgovuk |
[6]www.gov.uk/dcms

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Dear Mike

We write further to our email of 5 November with regard to your
information request in which you asked:

“I would like to request under the FOI Act a copy of the Treasury 5 case
outline business case (OBC) for the rural broadband contracts that were
subsequently all awarded to BT.”

We have dealt with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(the Act).

I can confirm that the Department has now concluded the public interest
test to determine whether sections of the information you had requested
should be exempt from disclosure under Section 43 (commercial interests)
of the Act. Our conclusion is that the information should be released.   

The Department’s original Outline Business Case for the rural broadband
programme is provided as requested (attached). Much of the information in
this OBC has been made public and can be found in the Programme Delivery
Model document which was published in September 2011 on the Department’s
website (see link:
[1]https://www.gov.uk/.../78021/BDUK-Progra...).
The Broadband Impact Study also provides new evidence on the benefits of
superfast broadband.

Yours sincerely

[2]cid:image001.png@01CE41D8.92FDC8D0  

Freedom of Information Team

4^th Floor, 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ
[3]cid:image002.jpg@01CE41D8.92FDC8D0[4]@dcms 
[5]cid:image003.jpg@01CE41D8.92FDC8D0 [6]/dcmsgovuk |
[7]www.gov.uk/dcms

Complaints and comments

As is customary in our replies, I would like to explain that if you are
dissatisfied with any aspect of our response to your request for
information and/or wish to appeal against information being withheld from
you please send full details within two calendar months of the date of
this email to:  [8][email address]

You have the right to ask the Information Commissioner (ICO) to
investigate any aspect of your complaint. Please note that the ICO is
likely to expect internal complaints procedures to have been exhausted
before beginning his investigation.

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