21 June 2016 – 123 2016-17 – Freedom of information requests – PCC logo costs

Request

1. Was a competitive tender process carried out when North Yorkshire PCC decided on a new logo
2. The name of the design company chosen to produce the new logo for North Yorkshire PCC
3. The cost of replacement stationary that incorporates the new logo
4. The cost of including the new logo within the North Yorkshire PCC website
5. Any other costs of rebranding including signage, publicity materials and associated marketing
6. Why it was felt that a new logo was required in the run in to the PCC election?

Response

I note that my colleague emailed you on the 09 May 2016 asking for clarification into which logo you were referring to. On the 17 May 2016 you replied with the following:

In answer to your question as to when the rebrand for the NYPCC took place it was the most recent with the dot map of North Yorkshire at its centre.

The links my colleague provided to you in her email (09 May 2016) were in relation to the same ‘dot map’ logo. The development of the logo was done back in 2013 and not for the ‘run in to the PCC elections’.

As a result, information in relation to questions 2 – 5 are already published on the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) website under the following link: https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/taking-action/expenses-and-expenditure/contracts-under-10000/.

Question 6 is not relevant as the logo was developed in 2013 and not for the ‘run in to the PCC elections’.

However to assist, at the bottom of the linked page above, there is also a link “PCC artwork and digital imaging” which explains that as the old Police Authority did not spend any money on external branding for the incoming Police and Crime Commissioner in November, it was deemed necessary to do so to get the organisation up and running. This included a logo, literature, imagery, website visuals, community newsletters, banners, brand guidelines, digital templates, artwork in multiple formats, literature templates and a library of graphics.

Question 1, is not a valid request under the Act (Section 8) as it is a yes/no question and not a request for recorded information.

Again to assist, I have provided the links to an FOI response ref 602.2013-14 on the PCC’s website and the brand template brief:

https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/foi-602-2013-14/
https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/OPCC_brand__template_brief.pdf

As the information is already reasonably accessible by other means, I am exempting a response pursuant to Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Section 21 – Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means

Section 21 is an absolute class based exemption and I am not required to consider the harm or public interest when applying this exemption.

Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice in response to your request.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data. It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.