Dear Sir or Madam,

Policy documents - Common Purpose

Please supply

1. copies of your organisation's policy documents relating to the
selection of personnel for Common Purpose training.

2. copies of ALL correspondence (email, letters, memos etc)
relating to the selection of personnel for Common Purpose training.

By "Common Purpose", I mean the training organisation of that name:
http://www.commonpurpose.org/home.aspx

Yours faithfully,

John Walker

Thanks for your message, which has been passed to our Freedom of
Information Manager.

Regards,

Simon Lubin

Media Relations Manager

British Transport Police

25 Camden Road

London NW1 9LN

T: 020 7830 8854

F: 020 7830 8944

M: 07771 670116

Visit the BTP Media Centre to access and download the latest press
releases. Register for a Press Pass to receive exclusive information.

http://www.btp.presscentre.com

show quoted sections

Dear Lubin, Simon,

I am overdue a reply to this request.

Yours sincerely,

John Walker

I will pass on your message.

Regards,

Simon Lubin

Media Relations Manager

British Transport Police

25 Camden Road

London NW1 9LN

T: 020 7830 8854

F: 020 7830 8944

M: 07771 670116

Visit the BTP Media Centre to access and download the latest press
releases. Register for a Press Pass to receive exclusive information.

http://www.btp.presscentre.com

show quoted sections

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

A response is overdue.

I am writing to request an internal review of British Transport
Police's handling of my FOI request 'Policy documents - Common
Purpose'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/po...

Yours sincerely,

John Walker

Dear Mr Walker,

Please find attached response to your Freedom of Information request.

If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact
me.

Best regards,

Vanessa Osborne

Information Standards Co-ordinator

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

Information Standards Unit

British Transport Police

FHQ

25 Camden Road

London, NW1 9LN

T: 020 7830 6731 (46731)

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

show quoted sections

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of British Transport
Police's handling of my FOI request 'Policy documents - Common
Purpose'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/po...

..............................

You state that you have no policy as regards selecting people for
Common Purpose courses and no record of any correspondence
regarding the selection of people for these courses.

In 2007 BTP spent over £47000 on Common Purpose courses: see here:
http://www.cpexposed.com/documents/CP_Br...

1. Where did this money come from? Were the courses paid for by
public money or did the course participants pay out of their own
pockets?

2. How can you say there is no policy when it comes to selecting
personnel for Common Purpose courses. There must be a policy of
some sort. How are personnel for Common Purpose courses selected?

3. Why is there no record of any correspondence regarding the
selection of people for these courses? How are details of the
course selection communicated - telepathy?

4. What is the benefit to the taxpayer (whom I assume paid the
bill) of Common Purpose courses?

This time I do not expect to have to wait 14 weeks for a reply.

Yours sincerely,

John Walker

Dear Sir

In respect of your request for a review of the response to your Freedom of
Information request dated 4^th August 2008, the original decision has been
reviewed and BTP of the opinion that the decision still stands.

Your first question asked for copies of BTP's policy documents relating to
the selection of personnel for Common Purpose training. In line with
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 any person making a
request for information to a public authority is entitled:-

(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds
information of the description specified in the request, and

(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.

As stated British Transport Police do not hold such a policy document and
is therefore unable to supply such a document to you.

Similarly, your second question asked for copies of all correspondence
(email, letters, memos etc) relating to the selection of personnel for
Common Purpose training. I have again had records checked and no
correspondence can be found relating to the selection of personnel for
Common Purpose training courses. BTP therefore do not hold the
information you have requested.

Once a review has been completed if you are still unhappy with the answer
you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. You can
write to the ICO at:

Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Alternatively you can use the ICO's online contact form which can be found
at https://www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us....

I also note that you have asked some additional questions.

1. Where did this money come from? Were the courses paid for by public
money or did the course participants pay out of their own pockets?

These courses were met from British Transport Police London Underground
Area budget so the attendees did not meet the costs out of their own
pockets.

2. How can you say there is no policy when it comes to selecting personnel
for Common Purpose courses. There must be a policy of some sort. How are
personnel for Common Purpose courses selected?

This is not a request within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act
2000 as you are not asking for recorded information held by BTP.

3. Why is there no record of any correspondence regarding the selection of
people for these courses? How are details of the course selection
communicated - telepathy?

This is not a request within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act
2000 as you are not asking for recorded information held by BTP.

4. What is the benefit to the taxpayer (whom I assume paid the bill) of
Common Purpose courses?

This is not a request within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act
2000 as you are not asking for recorded information held by BTP.

In respect of questions 2, 3 & 4 if you would like assistance in
re-phrasing these questions so they meet the requirements of the Act
please do not hesitate to contact me.

Brian Coleman BA MSc
Information Standards Manager

Information Standards Unit
British Transport Police
25 Camden Road
London
NW1 9LN

Tel 020 7830 6751

Brian Coleman BA MSc
Information Standards Manager

Information Standards Unit
British Transport Police
25 Camden Road
London
NW1 9LN

Tel 020 7830 6751

show quoted sections