Cost of policing demonstration against BNP outside BBC TV Centre on 22nd October

Dear D Willingham

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009100005483
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 23/10/2009. I note you seek
access to the following information:

1. "The BBC's Question Time program had the leader of the BNP as a
panellist on 22nd October 2009. This resulted in an anti-fascist
demonstration outside the BBC.
2. What was the total financial cost to the MPS of policing this event?
Please supply a breakdown of the composition of these costs.
3. Using appropriate rounding so as not to compromise the integrity of
future Police operations, approximately how many Police Officers were
required to police this demonstration?
4. From what alternative duties were the Officers required to police this
event taken?
5. Did the requirement to police this demonstration result in any
degradation to the provision of Police services in other parts of the
MPS area, any other Police area, or the provision of any specialist
Police services? Please specify and detail.
6. Did the BBC make any contribution towards the costs of Policing this
event? Were they asked for a contribution?
7. Did the BNP make any contribution towards the costs of Policing this
event? Were they asked for a contribution?"

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act). You will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act,
subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference
to a third party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to
achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and
given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your
right of complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact Katie London by email, quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Katie London
Policy and Support Officer
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think
the decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your
request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is
to telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your
decision letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues
and assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision
of the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act)
regarding access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS
to have the decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied
with the decision you may make application to the Information
Commissioner for a decision on whether the request for information has
been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information
Commissioner please visit their website at
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk. Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Willingham

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009100005483

I write in connection with your request for information dated 23/10/2009
which was received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 23/10/2009.
I note you seek access to the following information:

** The BBC's Question Time program had the leader of the BNP as a
panelist on 22nd October 2009. This resulted in an anti-fascist
demonstration outside the BBC. What was the total financial cost to
the MPS of policing this event? Please supply a breakdown of the
composition of these costs. Using appropriate rounding so as not to
compromise the integrity of future Police operations, approximately how
many Police Officers were required to police this demonstration? From
what alternative duties were the Officers required to police this event
taken? Did the requirement to police this demonstration result in any
degradation to the provision of Police services in other parts of the MPS
area, any other Police area, or the provision of any specialist Police
services? Please specify and detail. Did the BBC make any contribution
towards the costs of Policing this event? Were they asked for a
contribution? Did the BNP make any contribution towards the costs of
Policing this event? Were they asked for a contribution?

Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within the MPS
to locate information relevant to your request.

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
at Finance Services.

RESULT OF SEARCHES

The searches located a number of records relevant to your request.

Decision

I have numbered the questions in order to identify the individual elements
of your request:

1. What was the total financial cost to the MPS of policing this event?
Please supply a breakdown of the composition of these costs.

2.Using appropriate rounding so as not to compromise the integrity
of future Police operations, approximately how many Police Officers were
required to police this demonstration?

3. From what alternative duties were the Officers required to police this
event taken?

4. Did the requirement to police this demonstration result in any
degradation to the provision of Police services in other parts of the MPS
area, any other Police area, or the provision of any specialist
Police services? Please specify and detail.

5. Did the BBC make any contribution towards the costs of Policing
this event? Were they asked for a contribution?

6. Did the BNP make any contribution towards the costs of Policing
this event? Were they asked for a contribution?

Having considered the relevant information, I have decided to:

*** disclose records in relation to questions 1, 2, 5 and 6 in
full.

1. The estimated total cost of the policing operation, to the MPS,
in respect of the Unite Against Fascism demonstration 22 October 2009 is
**143k. **109k of the estimate is in relation to opportunity costs. These
costs cannot be regarded as an additional cost to the MPS; rather, the
officers assigned to these duties would otherwise have been assigned to
other policing duties or operations. **34k is additional costs of which
**13k is overtime. **21k is non-pay costs. Non-pay costs include elements
such as Air Support costs, transport costs, catering costs and the
erection of barriers and road signs for public safety/road closures.

2. 395 police officer shifts were dedicated to the operation.

5/6. No financial contributions were made towards the policing of
the event and none were requested. Maintaining public order at
demonstrations such as this is a statutory responsibility and forms part
of the MPS core duties.

*** Fully exempt questions 3 and 4 pursuant to the provisions of
sections 31 and 38 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Reasons for decision

Section 17 of the Act provides:

(1) A public authority which, in relation to any request for
information, is to any extent relying on a claim that any provision in
part II relating to the duty to confirm or deny is relevant to the request
or on a claim that information is exempt information must, within the time
for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice which:

(a) states the fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question, and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the
exemption applies.

Section 31 (1) (a) of the Act provides:

(1) Information which is not exempt information by virtue of
section 30 is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would,
or would be likely to, prejudice,

(a) the prevention or detection of crime.

Section 38 (1) (a) & (b) of the Act provides:

(1) Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this
Act would, or would be likely to,

(a) endanger the physical or mental health of any individual, or
(b) endanger the safety of any individual.

The exemptions provided under section 31 and 38 are prejudiced based and
qualified. Therefore, the MPS is required to provide details of the harm
that will be caused by disclosure as well as consider the public interest
test.

Evidence of Harm

In considering whether or not this information should be disclosed,
consideration has been given to the potential harm that could be
caused by disclosure.

The disclosure of the information requested in questions 3 and 4 could
create an awareness of specific deployments. To disclose such information
may be likely to have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of police
management.

Individuals.

Disclosure of the requested information would allow members of the public
to identify resources deployed on specific duties. This would enable
individuals that are intent in causing disruption to identify strengths
and weaknesses which could be exploited causing harm to members of the
public. Additionally this harm would extend to police officers deployed.

Community

As stated above, disclosure of the requested information would be likely
to encourage disruption to public order. Should weaknesses be exploited,
there is a strong possibility of disruption causing distress to
members of the public and potentially causing an increase in crime. This
would harm community relations and reduce the confidence in the MPS.

MPS

The provision of details in relation to the allocation of resources would
impact on the MPS ability to prevent and detect crime and could hinder
other MPS priorities.

Other Bodies

Potential consequences following disclosure of the requested information
could result in public order offences and an increase in crime, which
would have a direct impact on local businesses.

Public Interest Test

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure:

Accountability and use of public funds.

There is valid public interest in the accountability of the MPS so that
members of the public are aware of our processes. In respect of your
request, disclosure of the information would allow public scrutiny of the
use of MPS resources.

Public awareness and debate

The disclosure of the requested information would assist in providing
accurate information and reducing speculation and falsehoods around
the policing of demonstrations.

Public interest considerations favouring non-disclosure:

Efficient conduct of the service.

As explained in the harm test, disclosure of the requested information
would compromise the efficient conduct of the service by identifying
areas that could be exploited. In order to counteract this possibility,
abstractions would be necessary detracting officers from other priorities.
This would clearly not be in the public interest and therefore significant
weight is attributed to this factor.

Public safety

Any disclosure that would be likely to increase crime would impact on the
safety of members of the public.

Flow of information into the service.

The impact of potential incidents could affect public confidence. This
would lead to a decline in crimes being reported and a subsequent lack of
intelligence being gathered, impeding any investigations.

Balancing Test

After weighing up the competing interests, a decision has been reached
that disclosure of the above information would not be in the
public interest. It is considered that the benefit that would result from
the information being disclosed does not outweigh non-disclosure of the
information requested. Such disclosure may compromise the force***s
ability to fulfil its core function of law enforcement and impact upon the
safety of members of the public and police officers deployed.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

If you are dissatisfied with this response please read the attached paper
entitled Complaint Rights which explains how to make a complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me on 02071611628 or at the address at the top of this letter,
quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Tony Strange
Costing Technician

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law. Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New Scotland Yard, Victoria, London,
SW1H 0BG.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

show quoted sections