Policing of Olympic relay

Dear Mr Thomas

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2008040002511
I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 8th April 2008. I
note you seek access to the following information:

* Watching yesterday's relay, it was difficult to miss the heavy
presence of Chinese security,
* please release all documents, emails etc in which the role of these
individuals was discussed and the powers that they were given to
prevent a Konnie Huq style liberation attempt..

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.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision
of the information you request. If this is the case you will be
informed and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we
receive payment from you. If you choose not to make payment then your
request will remain unanswered.

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.

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

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest
in the MPS.

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please
write or contact Kevin Simmons on telephone number 020 7161 3631
quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Kevin Simmons
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 three months.
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 Thomas

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2008040002511

I write in connection with your request for information dated which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 08/04/2008. I note
you seek access to the following information:

** Watching yesterday's relay, it was difficult to miss the heavy
presence of Chinese security, please release all documents, emails etc in
which the role of these individuals was discussed and the powers that they
were given to prevent a Konnie Huq style liberation attempt..

I regret to inform you that the MPS have not been able to complete its
response to your request by the date originally stated due to the volume
of requests received.

I now advise you that the amended date for a response is 30th June 2008. I
can assure you that every effort will be made to ensure an appropriate
response will be made within this new timescale.

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

May I apologise for any inconvenience caused. Should you wish to discuss
this matter please write or contact Alex Norrie on telephone number 0207
230 3153 quoting the reference number above.

Thank you for your interest in the MPS.

Yours sincerely

Alex Norrie
Information Manager
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 three months.
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 Thomas

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2008040002511

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 08/04/2008. I note you seek
access to the following information:

** Watching yesterday's relay, it was difficult to miss the heavy
presence of Chinese security, please release all documents, emails etc in
which the role of these individuals was discussed and the powers that they
were given to prevent a Konnie Huq style liberation attempt..

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

It is felt appropriate in the circumstances to apologise for the length of
time taken to deal with this request, however, you will be aware that
yours was one of a large number of requests received by the MPS in respect
of the Olympic Torch relay through London on 6 April 2008.

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
within the Metropolitan Police Public Order Command, Operational Support
Command and the Directorate of Public Affairs.

DECISION

Refusal Notice

Section 17 of the Act provides:
17(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for
information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies
must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant
a notice stating that fact.

Section 12 of the Act provides:
12(1) Section 1(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a
request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of
complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.

The planning, organising and actual policing of the event to which your
request relates, generated a vast amount of information, contained within
a large number of documents and in order to locate information specific to
your request would involve MPS staff carrying out detailed searches
through every item, and It is the act of locating and retrieveing the
relevant information, that we as a Public Authority, assess that the cost
threshold will be exceeded.
In accordance with Section 12 of the Act, the cost of providing you with
the information requested is above the amount to which we are legally
required to respond. i.e the cost of locating and retrieving the
information exceeds the 'appropriate level' as stated in the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. It is
estimated that it would take over 18 hours of work and cost in excess of
**450 to comply with your request.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts
as a Refusal Notice. However ceratin strategic information which was
readily available and located with in the cost threshold and has been
attached

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

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

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
the MPS.

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact Alex Norrie on telephone number 0207 230 3153 quoting the
reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Alex Norrie
Information Manager
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, Room 613, Wellington House, 67-73 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E
6BE
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 three months.
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