Dear Ms Worsley,

I refer to your request for information received at this office on 1^st October, 2008. Please see below our response.

Your request:

I should like to know if the council uses Potential Violent Warning markers (or similar description) against its citizens in any of its databases. In particular if these markers are used:

1. How many databases are they used in?

Our response - 3

2. Who is the senior nominated person in the council who makes the decision that a person should have such a marker added to his / her records?

Our response - There is more than one senior nominated person, which includes Heads of Service, Principal Managers and Team Leaders.

3. What is the mean time to review the presence of these markers, also what the shortest and longest times between reviews are?

Our response - Information with regards to mean time and shortest and longest times between reviews, is not currently held in a readily accessible form. Each individual record would need to be interrogated in order to establish this information. It is estimated that this would take up to 15 minutes per record (on average).

This information is therefore exempt under Section 12 of the Act on cost grounds, as it would take the council over the 18hour limit to answer. Please see Q4, re number of records.

4. How many such markers are current at the present time (or if a date is required, 01/10/08)?

Our response - 246

5. How many of the persons with such markers have you written to, to inform them that a marker exists against their personal record?

Our response - We do not record in a readily accessible way whether or not an individual is notified in writing that a marker exists against their name. Each individual record would need to be interrogated in order to establish this information. The request is already deemed to be over the cost limit.

6. If / when you have written to them, on how many occasions have you explained the reason(s) why they have a marker against their record?

Our response - As question 5.

Salford City Council takes its responsibilities seriously, in terms of the health and safety of its staff and the appropriate handling of citizen's data. To this end, the council is working towards a streamlined approach, in terms of processing such information.

If you are dissatisfied with the way your request has been handled, or if you wish to make an appeal against this decision, please contact David Sackfield, Business Support & Corporate Information Resource Team Manager on 0161 793 2141. Guidance on how to make a formal appeal against a decision under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is also available on our web site at www.salford.gov.uk.

Should you further disagree with the decision following the appeal, you may wish to contact the

Office of the Information Commissioner

Office of the Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane, Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Tel: 01625 545700

Fax: 01625 524510

Yours Sincerely

Teresa Webb

Corporate Information Officer