Freedom of Information model letter (University or College ethical purchasing)

Freedom of Information is only one possible tactic you can use to try and get a picture of where your University is getting its merchandise and who is in charge of purchasing it. Another good idea would be to go and look in the labels in the back of items which are sold in shops. Check a diversity of products, take a note of what you see, and check back on a few occasions - it may be that the university is using a middle-man who changes from whichever supplier is cheapest from one week to the next (this is a bad sign). You can also talk to the staff selling the merchandise - especially any who work in shops owned directly by the university.

The crucial thing to realise for the request is that FoI Act only applies to public authorities and their wholly owned subsidiaries. So the University has to cough up the information if they have it, and so does any company which the University entirely owns. But if the company is only partly owned by the University, then it may not have to disclose.

This letter has been written so as to cover all merchandise, not just garments which are the focus of most traditional anti-sweatshop campaigning. You can narrow it to that if you like, but things like teddybears, plastic toys etc. are equally an issue. You should be able to find a contact e-mail address on the University website. If not, phone them up and ask for one.

To Whom It May Concern:

I hope that the University will be able to help me with the following questions:

(i) Is any there University branded merchandise at all? For example, items of clothing bearing the University's insignia or name? If so, where are these sold?

(ii) With which companies does the University hold contracts for the supply of merchandise? In particular, which contract for garments?

(iii) Does the University hold information on which companies manafacture the merchandise it buys? Does the University hold information on in which factories the merchandise is manafactured?

(iv) Who manages the purchasing and sale of University merchandise?

(v) As regards merchandise, what ethical purchasing standards does the University operate? How are these implemented? What mechanisms does the University have to ensure that the standards it requires are in fact implemented?

I trust that the full implications of the Freedom of Information Act will be taken into account in assessing this request. Many thanks for your time; and please do not hesitate to let me know if I can help you by clarifying my request so as to make it easier for you to help me along the way. Also, I would appreciate that if you consider that any information in question is exempt from your obligations, you would let me know the legal exemption invoked, why you take it to apply and provide whatever portions of documents are not exempt. Please reply to this request by e-mail if possible. If information can only be sent in hard copy, I will supply an address on request.

Regards and thanks,

Posted on 17/06/05 by tom