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5 November 2009
Your Ref:
Our Ref:
0800/09
Mr Nick Smith
[email address]
Force Disclosure Unit
Police Headquarters
173 Pitt Street
GLASGOW
G2 4JS
Tel: 0141 435 1216
Fax: 0141 435 1218
Dear Mr Smith
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NUMBER 0800/09
I refer to your request for information dated 7 October 2009, which was received by
Strathclyde Police on same date.
Your request for information has now been considered and on 5 November 2009, a decision
was made to provide some of the information requested by you. Some of the information
requested by you is, however, considered to be exempt in terms of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act). Section 16 of the Act requires Strathclyde Police
to provide you with a notice which: (a) states that it holds the information, (b) states that it is
claiming an exemption, (c) specifies the exemption in question and (d) states, if that would
not be otherwise apparent, why the exemption applies. Where information is considered to be
exempt, this letter serves as a Refusal Notice and an explanation of the appropriate exemption
is provided.
For ease of reference, I have provided a response to each of the questions posed by you, as
detailed below.
I wanted to enquire about the driving permits offered by your Force to Police Officers. The
questions I have are:
1) What levels of driving permits are offered?
2) What do each of the driving permits allow the holder to do?
3) What training is required for each of the driving permits and how are the candidates
assessed? How long in length are the courses for each of the respective driving permits?
With regards to your first 3 questions this information is exempt under Section 25(1) of the
Act as the information is already publicly available within the ACPO/ACPOS Driving
Manual 2009. To be of assistance to you I have provided a link to this document below.
This is an absolute exemption and does not require the application of the public interest test.
http://www.acpos.police.uk/Documents/Policies/RP_NPDSC%20Police%20Driving%20Man
ual%202009.pdf
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4) Are any of the driving permits offered by your Force, offered in a modular basis, (i.e. are
they offered in modules of 1 week at a time until the course is complete etc),
I can confirm that none of our training courses are offered on a modular basis.
5) Which of the permits are available to Special Constables?
Basic Assessment Driving Courses are routinely made available to Special Constables,
however, there may be circumstances where a Special Constable is offered further courses.
6) If any modular courses are offered, are the available to Special Constables?
As explained previously, none of our training courses are offered on a modular basis.
7) How many Special Constables in your Force have driving permits which allow them to
respond (i.e. use blue lights, sirens and allowed the holder to utilise the relevant exemptions
afforded to them in law with respect of speeding, going through red lights etc),
I can confirm the answer as being 1 Special Constable.
I would appreciate any information that is available, in particular the information that
relates to Special Constables.
I hope this information is helpful, however, if you are not satisfied with the way in which
your request has been dealt with, you are entitled in the first instance to request a review of
the decision made by the Force. Should you wish to request such a review, please write to
Mrs Sheena Brennan, Disclosure Manager at the above address within 40 working days of
receiving this letter.
Once informed of the Review Panel’s decision, if you are still not satisfied, then you are
entitled to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner within six months for a decision.
Contact details are; Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, telephone 01334 464610.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in Strathclyde Police.
Should you require any further assistance concerning this matter please contact me directly on
0141 435 1216 quoting the reference number given.
Yours sincerely
Colette McFarlane
Freedom of Information Officer
