Covert Surveillance -Members of Public

Confirmation of Freedom Of Information Request

Thank you for your request for information.

Your request details have now been recorded and will be passed on to the
appropriate Divisional Records Officer for action.

This Freedom Of Information Request was based on the following
information:

Name: Liz R
Address: See email address
Email: [FOI #28394 email]
Telephone:
Request Details: How many staff in the council have been granted
permission to use
covert surveillance on members of the public since 2005 please?
(The OSC advised me to make this request to individual councils)

FOI Reference Number: 4952
Target Completion Date: 04/03/2010

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will not be actioned.

If you need to contact Westminster City Council regarding your request,
please contact:

mailto:[Westminster City Council request email]
Tel:020 7641 3921

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Dear Ms R

Thank you for your recent request to the Council. You asked to be provided
with the following information:

How many staff in the council have been granted permission to use covert
surveillance on members of the public since 2005 please?

In order to identify the information likely to be within the scope of your
request, can you please clarify your request with regard to the number of
staff granted permission to conduct covert surveillance. Are you referring
to the number of requests for covert surveillance made under RIPA or, do
you wish to know how many staff conducted the surveillance (more than 1
officer may be approved on a single application for example in a give
operation 2 or more officers may be authorised to conduct surveillance on
a target), although this information may not be held in all cases.

Once the above clarification has been received, your request will then be
considered and you will receive the information requested within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being exempt or
containing a reference to a third party.

If appropriate, the information may be provided in paper copy, normal font
size. If you require alternative formats, e.g. language, audio, large
print, etc. then please let me know.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an
assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then it cannot be
released. You will be informed if this is the case.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to
release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case.

There may a fee payable for this information. This will be considered and
you will be informed of the fee payable if this is the case. In this event
the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released. The
20 day time limit for responses is put on hold until receipt of the
payment.

Yours sincerely

Catherine Preston
Knowledge and Information Management Team
Information Services
Westminster City Council
101 Orchardson Street
London
NW8 8EA
Tel: 020 7641 3332
Fax: 020 7641 2872
Email: [Westminster City Council request email]

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Dear Ms R

Thank you for your recent request to the Council. You asked to be provided
with the number of staff granted permission to use covert surveillance
since 2005.

Response

I can advise that our records show that the council has granted permission
on 38 members of staff permission to conduct covert surveillance on 83
occasions since 2005.

I hope this answers your query.

Yours sincerely

Catherine Preston
Knowledge and Information Management Team
Information Services
Westminster City Council
101 Orchardson Street
London
NW8 8EA
Tel: 020 7641 3332
Fax: 020 7641 2872
Email: [Westminster City Council request email]

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