TV Licensing enforcement away from magistrates courts
Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,
I refer to the following news article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23092868 “Courtrooms to be fully digital by 2016”, By Clive Coleman, Legal correspondent, BBC News. The article referred to has the following paragraph:
“Legislating to enable the majority of high-volume, low-level "regulatory" cases, such as TV licence evasion and many traffic offences, to be dealt with away from traditional magistrates' courtrooms, which means freeing up the courts to deal with more serious cases.”
As television licensing authority in the UK, the BBC, publicly acknowledges its duties and responsibilities for all matters relating to TV Licensing and television licence enforcement. Therefore, this is a freedom of information request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for full disclosure and publication of the proposals made by the BBC and consultations the BBC have undertaken with the relevant Government authorities, departments and ministries in respect of “Legislating to enable the majority of high-volume, low-level “regulatory” cases, such as TV licence evasion . . . “
Yours faithfully,
Mr Hillas
Dear Mr Hillas,
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 28th June 2013. 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 RFI20130942.
Kind regards
The Information Policy & Compliance Team
BBC Freedom of Information
BC2 B6, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP
www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2882
Mr Hillas
Via email: [1][FOI #166953 email]
26 July 2013
Dear Mr Hillas
Request for Information – RFI20130942
Thank you for your request of 28 June 2013 under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (‘the Act’) seeking the following information:
“I refer to the following news article:
[2]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23092868 “Courtrooms to be fully digital
by 2016”, By Clive Coleman, Legal correspondent, BBC News. The article
referred to has the following paragraph:
“Legislating to enable the majority of high-volume, low-level "regulatory"
cases, such as TV licence evasion and many traffic offences, to be dealt
with away from traditional magistrates' courtrooms, which means freeing up
the courts to deal with more serious cases.”
As television licensing authority in the UK, the BBC, publicly
acknowledges its duties and responsibilities for all matters relating to
TV Licensing and television licence enforcement. Therefore, this is a
freedom of information request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
for full disclosure and publication of the proposals made by the BBC and
consultations the BBC have undertaken with the relevant Government
authorities, departments and ministries in respect of “Legislating to
enable the majority of high-volume, low-level “regulatory” cases, such as
TV licence evasion . . . “ “
The BBC confirms that it does hold information that is relevant to your
request.
The Act obliges us to respond to requests promptly and in any case no
longer than 20 working days after receiving the request. However, when a
qualified exemption applies to the information and the public interest
test is engaged, section 10 of the Act allows the time for a response to
be longer than 20 working days. A full response must be provided within
such time as is reasonable in all circumstances of the case.
We consider that the exemptions in sections 31 (law enforcement) and 36
(effective conduct of public affairs) apply to multiple parts of the
information you have requested. We now need further time in which to
consider the public interest in disclosing the information. In this case
we have not yet reached a decision on where the balance of the public
interest lies.
Whilst we have established some sections of the information to which no
exemption applies, due to the nature and format of the information, it is
not feasible or helpful to you for us to disclose the non-exempt
information to you separately from the information we are still
considering. Therefore we will provide all the information which we
consider to be subject to disclosure once we have considered the public
interest.
We estimate that we will have reached a decision by 30 August 2013 and we
will write to you then.
Appeal Rights
You may request an internal review of our decision to extend the time
period for handling your request, by contacting us at the address above.
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 see [3]http://www.ico.gov.uk/
Kind regards
Rupinder Panesar
Freedom of Information Advisor, TV Licensing Management Team
Dear Mr Hillas,
Freedom of Information request – RFI20130942
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the
Act”) dated 28 June 2013.
I apologise but we are currently not in a position to respond to your
request.
I sincerely apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may
cause you. I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that your
request is a priority as it is late.
Kind regards,
The Information Policy & Compliance Team
References
Visible links
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of British Broadcasting Corporation's handling of my FOI request 'TV Licensing enforcement away from magistrates courts'.
The BBC have had more than ample time to carry out all the discussions and consultations necessary within the BBC and resolve the issues they claim to have in responding to this freedom of information request.
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,
Mr Hillas
Dear Mr Hillas,
Thank you for your email, in relation to your FOI request about RFI20130942. We apologise for the continued delay in responding to your request.
The BBC does not offer an internal review when Section 36 considereations are being made. We hope to be in a position to response to you soon and apologise for the continued delay.
Kind Regards,
The Information Policy and Compliance Team
BBC Information Policy and Compliance
BC2B6, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP, UK
Website: www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: mailto:[BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398
Mr Hillas left an annotation ()
This freedom of information request was lodged on 28 June 2013.
Today is 28 September 2013 and so far the BBC have failed to provide the information requested.
The BBC have 20 days to provide the information. 20 days is more than sufficient for the BBC to conduct all its internal discussions relating to what information should be released.
Peter Jones left an annotation ()
Complain to the ICO. As they've failed to reply you have the grounds to.
Dear Mr Hillas,
Please find attached the response to your request for an Internal Review,
reference IR2013074.
Yours sincerely
BBC Information Policy and Compliance
BC2 B6, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK
Website: [1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [2][BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2882
Fax: 020 8008 2398
References
Visible links
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi
2. mailto:[BBC request email]
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Dear Mr Hillas,
Please find attached a partial response to your request for information, reference RFI20130942.
Yours sincerely
BBC Information Policy and Compliance
Room BC2 B6
Broadcast Centre
White City
London
W12 7TS
UK
Website: www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: mailto:[BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2883
Fax: 020 8008 2398
Dear Mr Hillas,
Please find attached our further letter and the opinion of the Qualified
Person in response to your request RFI20130942.
Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your request.
Yours sincerely
The Information Policy & Compliance Team
BBC Freedom of Information
BC2 B6, Broadcast Centre
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TP
[1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [2][BBC request email]
Tel: 020 8008 2882
References
Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.bbc.co.uk/foi
2. mailto:[BBC request email]
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Peter Jones left an annotation ()
Who cares about Patten's opinion? In his eyes George Entwistle was the best thing since sliced bread and it was fine to throw millions at people who weren't contractually entitled.
Peter Jones left an annotation ()
Interesting as well that these disclosure documents are authored by the "Litigation Department". ICO please.
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Peter Jones left an annotation ()
They're taking the p*ss.
The ICO recommends it should NEVER take longer than 40 days to provide a response to ANY request, regardless of how complicated the public interest test is.
They have already taken longer than the 20 working days required by law to produce this feeble delay.