Found a couple of semi-interesting picks of some birds in my photo archive and through I’d throw them on here.
The local church flock 
And an unintended shot of a bird on a street light as I was photographing and EasyJet plane flying overhead.
FOI Request #2, DETINI – The final response + Redacted Contract
On 16th December, the 20th day, according to the revised timeline due to the DETI NI’s spam filter delaying my emails for some reason I received an email reply answering my appeal for the BT contract information.
I have not yet fully read and digested the response, however my inital reaction is one of disappointment that the request was not fully met. The supplied contract is severely redacted. Why is it deemed the SLA information commercially confidential?
I have several issues with the reply, which I shall deal with in a subsequent post. But for now, the reply and the redacted copy of the contract.
I am releasing this today to coincide with a Press Release from DETI NI that declared the BT contract to be completed and that NI has 100% broadband coverage.
Internal Review Decision Letter to Mr Paul Gregg – BT Broadband Contract – IR 004.PDF
BT Broadband Contract (Redacted Version) – IR 004.PDF
New: I have OCRed the document and created an HTML version. Note that OCR isn’t perfect and I have not proofed it so refer to the original PDF for any queries. The HTML version is provided for ease of use and searching.
BT Broadband Contract (Redacted Version) – IR 004-ocred
I would welcome some legal comment (free of charge of course) as to DETI NI’s signing a Confidentiality Clause in a major contract when they were aware* of their FOI obligations in respect of Confidentiality Clauses in contract.
* Information Commisioner Survey from NI Depts dated December 2003 – 3 months prior to the BT contract which stated: "The majority of respondents report that the Central Procurement Service manages NICS contracts with private sector suppliers. As a result, the Central Procurement Service is reviewing the existing procedures with regard to the removal of confidentiality clauses."
Or more specifically:
��we would like additional assistance in the form of more detailed interpretation of the FOIA exemptions, and in particular those relating to information provided in confidence (s41), commercial interests (s43), and prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs (s36).�
– Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment
Do you live in NI and can not yet get broadband?
If so, I want to hear from you.
Today, DETI NI announced that Northern Ireland is now the first region in Europe to have 100% broadband coverage.
http://www.nics.gov.uk/press/eti/060116d-eti.htm
Correction for editors on the above Press Release. The contract was awarded to BT in March 2004 – not 2003 as the PR states.
Please contact me if you have been denied a broadband order since 1st January 2006.
If you have been denied prior to 2006, then by all accounts you should not be denied again – order again – they have 100% coverage now, right?