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Information Policy & Compliance
bbc.co.uk/foi
bbc.co.uk/privacy
Mr S Alexander
By email –
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx 21st October 2013
Dear Mr Alexander,
Freedom of information request – RFI20131587
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) dated 28th
October 2013 requesting the following information:
1. Can you tell me what the BBC has spent on cigars for the past 40 financial years.
If it is not possible to go that far back without it taking too long to process, can you please
give me the the latest available figures, say for 30 years, or if not, 20 years, or if not, 10
years, or if not the past five years or the most you can provide.
2. Can you please, if time permits, tell me the brands of cigar bought as well.
Response
Question 1 & 2
The BBC’s financial accounting systems are not set up to capture and report in a way that would
enable us to retrieve information related to the purchase of cigars as there are no accounting codes
designated for this type of spend.
Appeal Rights If you are not satisfied that we have complied with the Act in responding to your request, you have the
right to an internal review by a BBC senior manager or legal adviser. Please contact us at the address
above, explaining what you would like us to review and including your reference number. If you are
not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. The contact
details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF, telephone 01625 545 700 or s
ee www.ico.org.uk Yours sincerely,
Tracey Morris
Head of Category Management
BBC Procurement
