Hello, Can you please supply me with any and all internal and external communication related to your naming of the new Elizabeth Line? This will include communication regarding alternative options; communication received from 3rd parties seeking to influence the decision; minutes from meetings where possible names were debated; details of who took the decision and the details of why they did so; and anything else that might be related to this decision. This communication may be in digital or paper format. Many thanks!

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Our Ref:         FOI-1742-1718

Thank you for your request received on 4 October 2017 asking for information about the naming of the Elizabeth Line.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:

Can you please supply me with any and all internal and external communication related to your naming of the new Elizabeth Line? This will include communication regarding alternative options; communication received from 3rd parties seeking to influence the decision; minutes from meetings where possible names were debated; details of who took the decision and the details of why they did so; and anything else that might be related to this decision. This communication may be in digital or paper format.

On 18 July 2013 the then-Mayor, Boris Johnson, proposed that the line should be called the Queen Elizabeth II Line. On 26 September 2015 Her Majesty the Queen formally approved the Elizabeth Line. No alternative names were suggested. We do not hold any minutes from meetings where the naming of the Elizabeth Line was discussed.

Please find attached internal correspondence regarding the naming of the Elizabeth Line. Please note that in accordance with TfL’s obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) some personal data has been removed, as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of this personal data would be a breach of the DPA, specifically the first principle of the DPA which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions of Schedule 2 of the Data Protection Act which would make the processing ‘fair’. This exemption to the right of access to information is an absolute exemption and not subject to an assessment of whether the public interest favours use of the exemption.

We do hold additional internal correspondence and correspondence with the Palace and the Mayor’s office, in accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply this correspondence as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 37(1)(ad).

In this instance the exemption has been applied to our internal correspondence, as well as that with the Palace and the Mayor’s Office, as the correspondence you have requested was with the Royal Household on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. This exemption to the right of access to information is an absolute exemption and not subject to an assessment of whether the public interest favours use of the exemption.

For more information regarding the application of this exemption please refer to the Decision Notice (https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2017/2013797/fs50630384.pdf) issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office on this matter.

If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]

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