Information Access Team
Shared Services Directorate
2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF
Switchboard 020 7035 4848
E-mail: [email address] Website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk
J. Smith
[FOI #30545 email]
28th April 2010
Dear Mr Smith,
Freedom of Information request (our ref. 14313): internal review
I am writing further to my e-mail of 18th March 2010 about your request for an internal
review of our response to your Freedom of Information (FoI) request about the Green
Goddesses.
I have now completed the review. I have considered whether the correct procedures were
followed and reassessed whether the Department holds the information requested. I
confirm that I was not involved in the initial handling of your request.
My findings are set out in the attached report. My conclusion is that the original response
was correct in saying that we no longer hold the information, although we were incorrect in
saying that the Home Office was not responsible for the Green Goddess fleet.
We should have also given you details on how to contact the National Archive (TNA) as
they may also hold the information you request. You can make a Freedom of Information
request to the TNA by writing to their Enquiry Service at The National Archives, Kew,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU or using their online contact form. Further information on
accessing the information held by the National Archive can be found on their website
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm.
This completes the internal review process by the Home Office. If you remain dissatisfied
with the response to your FoI request, you have the right of complaint to the Information
Commissioner at the following address:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely
L Fisher
Information Access Team
Internal review of response to request under the Freedom of Information (FoI)
Act 2000 by Mr Smith (reference 14313)
Responding Unit: Information Management Service (IMS)
Chronology
Original FoI request:
12th March 2010
IMS
response: 17th March 2010
Request for internal review:
17th March 2010
Internal review acknowledgement
18th March 2010
Subject of request
1. Mr Smith requested information relating to the Green Goddess fleet. The full request
is below.
“As the Green Goddess fleet has now been sold off or scrapped, I was wondering if
it is possible to obtain a schedule of equipment to be issued to each vehicle in
wartime? Anything released in relation to this fleet refers to a "peacetime" equipment
list, and a "wartime” one that does not appear to have been released”
The response by IMS
2. The original response said that we do not hold the information requested. The full
response is quoted below:
“I have established that the Home Office does not hold the information which you
have requested. The fleet of Green Goddess engines was the responsibility of the
Ministry of Defence (MOD) who can be contacted at: -
CIO Access
6th Floor, Zone E
Main Building
Whitehall
London, SW1A 2HB
Online Request Form:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/FreedomOfInformationInformationRe
quest.htm”
Mr Smith’s request for an internal review
3. Mr Smith’s internal review request raises the following points, which wil be
addressed in this report.
“The Green Goddess fleet was owned and operated by the Home Office, the MOD
supplied manpower (ie forces personnel) during fire brigade industrial action.
Indeed, each Green Goddess, and all other vehicles from the former Emergency
Fire Service, latterly based at Marchington are inscribed: "This Vehicle is the
property of the Home Office".
The Home Office also payed redundancy payments to the EFS staff when the
Goddesses were sold off.
To say that these were MOD controlled assets is not credible”
Procedural issues
4. IMS responded to Mr Smith on the third working day following receipt of the request,
which complies with section 10(1) of the Act.
Consideration of the response
5. We have conducted another search of the Home Office’s records to see if we hold
information relating to the Green Goddesses. We have also consulted the policy unit
responsible for Home Office issues in relation to civil emergencies. I can confirm that
the Home Office does not hold any information for the request. We have previously
advised Mr Smith to contact the Ministry of Defence on this matter. I would add that
it might also be worthwhile to contact The National Archives (TNA) at Kew.
6. A Freedom of Information request to the TNA can be made by writing to the Enquiry
Service at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU or using its
online contact form. Further information on accessing the information held by The
National Archives can be found on its website
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm.
7. In the original response IMS state that the fleet of Green Goddess engines was the
responsibility of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Mr Smith criticises this statement in
his internal review request, saying, “
To say that these were MOD controlled assets is
not credible”. Mr Smith is correct on this point.
8. The response should have said that matters relating to defence are now the
responsibility of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and that they might possibly be able
to assist with the request. Mr Smith is correct in thinking that the Home Office, not
the MoD, was responsible for the Green Goddess engines during wartime as well as
peacetime. This does not alter the fact that we do not hold the information which Mr
Smith has requested. If the MoD cannot help, then The National Archives is likely to
be the best route for finding the information requested.
Advice and assistance
9. IMS did provide advice and assistance to Mr Smith, complying with section 16(1) of
the Act. IMS demonstrated this by giving the requestor the address of the FoI unit at
the Ministry of Defence.
10. The unit could have also provided additional advice and assistance to Mr Smith by
giving him the contact details of The National Archives. This has been provided in
this internal review report at paragraph six and in the response letter.
Conclusion
11. IMS complied with section 10(1) of the Act in responding to Mr Smith within the
statutory 20 working days.
12. IMS complied with section (1)(1)(a) of the Act in confirming that we do not hold the
information requested.
13. IMS were incorrect in saying that the fleet of Green Goddess engines was the
responsibility of the MoD, but were correct in saying that we no longer hold the
information. They suggested the requestor contacts the Ministry of Defence and I
have added in this report that he might also like to contact The National Archives.
Information Access Team, Home Office
April 2010
