Information Commissioner's Office

BBC

8 January 2008, Other

The complainant requested a range of financial information about the costs incurred in relation to BBC Northern Ireland. The BBC refused to disclose information about salaries of BBC staff on the basis that it was exempt on the basis of section 40. The Commissioner has decided that whilst it would breach the Data Protection Act to disclose the exact salaries of the BBC employees concerned, disclosure of their respective salary bands would not. With regard to the remainder of the requested information, the BBC refused to provide this information on the basis that it was held for the purposes of journalism, art or literature. Having considered the circumstances of this case the Commissioner has concluded that the BBC has misapplied the Schedule 1 derogation and that this information falls within the Act. However, the Commissioner has concluded that some of this information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 40 and 43, although some of this information is not exempt from disclosure and should therefore be provided to the complainant.

FOI 1: Upheld