The FCDO assisting the filing of Netflix Series ‘The Diplomat’
Dear Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office,
The recent Netflix series, ‘The Diplomat’, included filming that took place within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London. For such filming to have taken place a access agreement would have been made. Please you provide me a copy of this access agreement.
Yours faithfully,
Tarik Ata
Thank you for contacting the FCDO Information Rights Unit (IRU).
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING ADVICE
Once we have officially accepted your request, we are unable to provide
progress updates within the initial 20 working day deadline for response.
Please do not send multiple emails about the same enquiry, as this is
likely to cause a delay in our response time.
Should you need assistance in making or refining your request you may wish
to consult the gov.uk guide on [1]How to make a Freedom of Information
(FOI) request
The Information rights Unit are not able to respond to queries on the
issues mentioned below. Emails about these issues will be deleted without
response. Please note the relevant guidance and redirect your query
accordingly.
Afghanistan related enquiries
The UK evacuation operation has now ceased. The security situation in
Afghanistan remains extremely volatile. There is an ongoing and high
threat of terrorist attack. The potential for terrorist attacks,
particularly around Kabul airport, remains very high. British nationals
remaining in Afghanistan need to consider carefully the risks should they
attempt to leave by any route. We advise against all travel to
Afghanistan. We continue to closely monitor events in Afghanistan. Please
check our travel advice for our latest advice for British nationals, and
subscribe for updates.
The British Embassy in Kabul has suspended in-country operations. All UK
diplomatic and consular staff have been temporarily withdrawn. The ability
to provide consular support to British nationals is extremely limited and
is being provided virtually. If you are a British national in Afghanistan
and need to speak to a consular officer call the FCDO on +441908 516666
(or 01908 516666 in the UK). The FCDO cannot offer advice on the safety of
travelling to any alternative departure point.
British nationals who remain in Afghanistan are strongly encouraged to
[2]register their presence in order to receive important updates. This
will enable us to validate the numbers of British nationals seeking
assistance, and to provide essential information to British nationals that
remain in Afghanistan, when it becomes available.
If you are an Afghan national and are eligible or have been approved for
assistance under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP),there
is more information here:
[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
If you are a non-British national in Afghanistan, or are the family member
of a non-British national in Afghanistan, and in need of assistance,
please see
[4]https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-...
or call +44 2475 389 980 (or 02475 389 980 in the UK).
Current and former locally employed UK government staff, ie those who were
employed directly by the UK government, not through a third party, should
apply to ARAP following this link:
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio....
Further information on the ARAP scheme can be found here:
[6]https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021...
If you have already applied for ARAP, and would like an update on your
application, please re-send your query here:
[7][email address]
Non-Afghanistan related Consular Assistance for British Nationals
If you are a British national seeking urgent consular assistance, please
call the Consular Assistance Team on 020 7008 5000 (or +44 20 7008
5000).
ATAS Certificates
Email [8][email address] if you have a query about your application. We
are unable to reply to any query on an application.
Legalisation
Contact the Legalisation Office if you need an update on an application or
if you have a general enquiry: [9][email address], Telephone:
03700 00 22 44
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, [10]Find out about call charges
Visas
Please see guidance on [11]Applying for a visa to come to the UK or
contact [12]UK Visas and immigration for help.
Travel Advice
If you require travel advice for your destination country, please visit
the [13]Travel Advice pages, which contain the latest information on
coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and areas where the
FCDO advises against travel. You can also subscribe to travel advice
email alerts for your destination and monitor the FCDO coronavirus travel
advice page. You can follow FCDO Travel social media channels
on [14]Twitter, [15]Facebook and [16]Instagram. If you have a question
about the advice or a topic that is not covered, [17]please submit an
enquiry.
Follow us online: www.gov.uk/fcdo
This email is intended for the addressee(s) only: All messages sent and
received by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office may be
monitored in line with relevant [18]UK legislation
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
2. https://www.register-afghanistan.service...
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
4. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-...
5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
6. https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021...
7. mailto:[email address]
8. mailto:[email address]
9. mailto:[email address]
10. https://www.gov.uk/call-charges
11. https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk
12. https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-o...
13. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
14. https://twitter.com/fcdotravelgovuk
15. https://www.facebook.com/fcdotravel
16. https://www.instagram.com/travelaware/
17. https://www.contact-embassy.service.gov....
18. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
Dear Tarik Ata
Thank you for your FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We received your request on 8th September. It has been assigned a unique
reference number FOI2023/16561. We aim to respond by 6th October.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Dear Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office,
The request is not complex to fulfil. Nor are the records I requested access to challenging to search for, as the TV show it relates to was released in 2023, meaning the contracts must have been signed in 2022.
Please promptly provide the records requested in full as you are required to by law.
Yours faithfully,
Tarik Ata
Thank you for contacting the FCDO Information Rights Unit (IRU).
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING ADVICE
Once we have officially accepted your request, we are unable to provide
progress updates within the initial 20 working day deadline for response.
Please do not send multiple emails about the same enquiry, as this is
likely to cause a delay in our response time.
Should you need assistance in making or refining your request you may wish
to consult the gov.uk guide on [1]How to make a Freedom of Information
(FOI) request
The Information rights Unit are not able to respond to queries on the
issues mentioned below. Emails about these issues will be deleted without
response. Please note the relevant guidance and redirect your query
accordingly.
Afghanistan related enquiries
The UK evacuation operation has now ceased. The security situation in
Afghanistan remains extremely volatile. There is an ongoing and high
threat of terrorist attack. The potential for terrorist attacks,
particularly around Kabul airport, remains very high. British nationals
remaining in Afghanistan need to consider carefully the risks should they
attempt to leave by any route. We advise against all travel to
Afghanistan. We continue to closely monitor events in Afghanistan. Please
check our travel advice for our latest advice for British nationals, and
subscribe for updates.
The British Embassy in Kabul has suspended in-country operations. All UK
diplomatic and consular staff have been temporarily withdrawn. The ability
to provide consular support to British nationals is extremely limited and
is being provided virtually. If you are a British national in Afghanistan
and need to speak to a consular officer call the FCDO on +441908 516666
(or 01908 516666 in the UK). The FCDO cannot offer advice on the safety of
travelling to any alternative departure point.
British nationals who remain in Afghanistan are strongly encouraged to
[2]register their presence in order to receive important updates. This
will enable us to validate the numbers of British nationals seeking
assistance, and to provide essential information to British nationals that
remain in Afghanistan, when it becomes available.
If you are an Afghan national and are eligible or have been approved for
assistance under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP),there
is more information here:
[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
If you are a non-British national in Afghanistan, or are the family member
of a non-British national in Afghanistan, and in need of assistance,
please see
[4]https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-...
or call +44 2475 389 980 (or 02475 389 980 in the UK).
Current and former locally employed UK government staff, ie those who were
employed directly by the UK government, not through a third party, should
apply to ARAP following this link:
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio....
Further information on the ARAP scheme can be found here:
[6]https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021...
If you have already applied for ARAP, and would like an update on your
application, please re-send your query here:
[7][email address]
Non-Afghanistan related Consular Assistance for British Nationals
If you are a British national seeking urgent consular assistance, please
call the Consular Assistance Team on 020 7008 5000 (or +44 20 7008
5000).
ATAS Certificates
Email [8][email address] if you have a query about your application. We
are unable to reply to any query on an application.
Legalisation
Contact the Legalisation Office if you need an update on an application or
if you have a general enquiry: [9][email address], Telephone:
03700 00 22 44
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, [10]Find out about call charges
Visas
Please see guidance on [11]Applying for a visa to come to the UK or
contact [12]UK Visas and immigration for help.
Travel Advice
If you require travel advice for your destination country, please visit
the [13]Travel Advice pages, which contain the latest information on
coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and areas where the
FCDO advises against travel. You can also subscribe to travel advice
email alerts for your destination and monitor the FCDO coronavirus travel
advice page. You can follow FCDO Travel social media channels
on [14]Twitter, [15]Facebook and [16]Instagram. If you have a question
about the advice or a topic that is not covered, [17]please submit an
enquiry.
Follow us online: www.gov.uk/fcdo
This email is intended for the addressee(s) only: All messages sent and
received by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office may be
monitored in line with relevant [18]UK legislation
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
2. https://www.register-afghanistan.service...
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
4. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-...
5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
6. https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021...
7. mailto:[email address]
8. mailto:[email address]
9. mailto:[email address]
10. https://www.gov.uk/call-charges
11. https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk
12. https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-o...
13. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
14. https://twitter.com/fcdotravelgovuk
15. https://www.facebook.com/fcdotravel
16. https://www.instagram.com/travelaware/
17. https://www.contact-embassy.service.gov....
18. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
Dear Tarik Ata,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request
FOI2023/16561, received 8th September. Please find our response attached.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Dear Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's handling of my FOI request, 'The FCDO assisting the filing of Netflix Series ‘The Diplomat’'. FOI 2023/16561.
The FCDO acknowledges the existence of information relating to my request and the public interest in this information. Yet they refuse the request under the exemption section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, relating to commercial interests. In past FOI requests, such as FOI 1135-15, the FCDO (at the time the FCO) provided the information. But now the same information falls under an exemption? This is an inconsistent application of the exemption system.
The information I am requesting relating to the access agreement/s signed between the FCDO and the production company of 'The Diplomat' is within the public interest and does not jeopardise future business opportunities between the FCDO and entertainment media.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/t...
Yours faithfully,
Tarik Ata
Thank you for contacting the FCDO Information Rights Unit (IRU).
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING ADVICE
Once we have officially accepted your request, we are unable to provide
progress updates within the initial 20 working day deadline for response.
Please do not send multiple emails about the same enquiry, as this is
likely to cause a delay in our response time.
Should you need assistance in making or refining your request you may wish
to consult the gov.uk guide on [1]How to make a Freedom of Information
(FOI) request
The Information rights Unit are not able to respond to queries on the
issues mentioned below. Emails about these issues will be deleted without
response. Please note the relevant guidance and redirect your query
accordingly.
Afghanistan related enquiries
The UK evacuation operation has now ceased. The security situation in
Afghanistan remains extremely volatile. There is an ongoing and high
threat of terrorist attack. The potential for terrorist attacks,
particularly around Kabul airport, remains very high. British nationals
remaining in Afghanistan need to consider carefully the risks should they
attempt to leave by any route. We advise against all travel to
Afghanistan. We continue to closely monitor events in Afghanistan. Please
check our travel advice for our latest advice for British nationals, and
subscribe for updates.
The British Embassy in Kabul has suspended in-country operations. All UK
diplomatic and consular staff have been temporarily withdrawn. The ability
to provide consular support to British nationals is extremely limited and
is being provided virtually. If you are a British national in Afghanistan
and need to speak to a consular officer call the FCDO on +441908 516666
(or 01908 516666 in the UK). The FCDO cannot offer advice on the safety of
travelling to any alternative departure point.
British nationals who remain in Afghanistan are strongly encouraged to
[2]register their presence in order to receive important updates. This
will enable us to validate the numbers of British nationals seeking
assistance, and to provide essential information to British nationals that
remain in Afghanistan, when it becomes available.
If you are an Afghan national and are eligible or have been approved for
assistance under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP),there
is more information here:
[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
If you are a non-British national in Afghanistan, or are the family member
of a non-British national in Afghanistan, and in need of assistance,
please see
[4]https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-...
or call +44 2475 389 980 (or 02475 389 980 in the UK).
Current and former locally employed UK government staff, ie those who were
employed directly by the UK government, not through a third party, should
apply to ARAP following this link:
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio....
Further information on the ARAP scheme can be found here:
[6]https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021...
If you have already applied for ARAP, and would like an update on your
application, please re-send your query here:
[7][email address]
Non-Afghanistan related Consular Assistance for British Nationals
If you are a British national seeking urgent consular assistance, please
call the Consular Assistance Team on 020 7008 5000 (or +44 20 7008
5000).
ATAS Certificates
Email [8][email address] if you have a query about your application. We
are unable to reply to any query on an application.
Legalisation
Contact the Legalisation Office if you need an update on an application or
if you have a general enquiry: [9][email address], Telephone:
03700 00 22 44
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, [10]Find out about call charges
Visas
Please see guidance on [11]Applying for a visa to come to the UK or
contact [12]UK Visas and immigration for help.
Travel Advice
If you require travel advice for your destination country, please visit
the [13]Travel Advice pages, which contain the latest information on
coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and areas where the
FCDO advises against travel. You can also subscribe to travel advice
email alerts for your destination and monitor the FCDO coronavirus travel
advice page. You can follow FCDO Travel social media channels
on [14]Twitter, [15]Facebook and [16]Instagram. If you have a question
about the advice or a topic that is not covered, [17]please submit an
enquiry.
Follow us online: www.gov.uk/fcdo
This email is intended for the addressee(s) only: All messages sent and
received by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office may be
monitored in line with relevant [18]UK legislation
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
2. https://www.register-afghanistan.service...
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
4. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-...
5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
6. https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021...
7. mailto:[email address]
8. mailto:[email address]
9. mailto:[email address]
10. https://www.gov.uk/call-charges
11. https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk
12. https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-o...
13. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
14. https://twitter.com/fcdotravelgovuk
15. https://www.facebook.com/fcdotravel
16. https://www.instagram.com/travelaware/
17. https://www.contact-embassy.service.gov....
18. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
Dear Tarik Ata,
Internal Review for FOI2023/16561
Thank you for your request for an internal review of our response to your
FOI Request Ref FOI2023/16561
We received your request on 23rd October and it has been assigned a unique
reference number above. We will aim to respond by 20th November.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Dear Tarik Ata,
I am writing in response to your internal review request IR2023/20041,
received 23rd October. Please find attached our response.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now