traning courses given by Raythone to police officers

Dear Ms Hughes

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We are dealing with your request and will respond in due course.

Thank you for your patience.

Yours sincerely
____________________
Cynthia Coleman
Authority Business & Members Support
Assistant Information Officer

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This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.

Delivery to the following recipients has been delayed.

[email address]

Met Forward is the MPA’s strategic plan to make sure the Met will:
• fight crime and reduce criminality
• increase public confidence in policing
• achieve better value for money

To find out more go to www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/metforward/

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This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.

Delivery to the following recipients has been delayed.

[email address]

Met Forward is the MPA’s strategic plan to make sure the Met will:
• fight crime and reduce criminality
• increase public confidence in policing
• achieve better value for money

To find out more go to www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/metforward/

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Dear Ms Hughes,

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Authority does not hold the information requested. I have therefore transferred your request to the Metropolitan Police Service for them to arrange a response.

You should hear from them shortly.

Yvonne Peart
Information Officer

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Dear Ms. Hughes

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2010030003861
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 16/03/2010. I note you seek
access to the following information:

"I have found a report written by yourselves stating that police officer
have been going on training courses given by Raython and as we all know
they make non-lethal weapons,
I would like the documentation to these courses in particular the weapons
they were trained to use,
the coast of the courses and how many weapons have been purchased from
Raythone."

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 me at the above e-mail address, quoting the reference number
above.

Yours sincerely

R. Loizou
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

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Dear Ms Hughes

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2010040002843

I write in connection with your letter dated 8 April 2010 requesting that
the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) review its handling of your request
for information relating to:

* FOIA original case 2010030003861

The review will be conducted in accordance to the MPS's complaints
procedure. The MPS endeavour to respond to your complaint by 7 May 2010.

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me quoting the reference number above.

Thank you for your interest in the MPS.

Yours sincerely

S. Strong
FOIA Policy Research & Complaints 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 Ms. Hughes

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2010030003861

I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 16/03/2010. I note
you seek access to the following information:

* "I have found a report written by yourselves stating that police
officer have been going on training courses given by Raytheon and as
we all know they make non-lethal weapons, I would like the
documentation to these courses in particular the weapons they were
trained to use, the coast of the courses and how many weapons have
been purchased from Raytheon."

Please see the below MPS response to your request: 2010030003861 -
Raytheon training.

In the period from the 4th March 2010 to 13th April 2010, the MPS has
received 5 requests from you including two which were transferred to the
MPS from the Metropolitan Police Authority. Each of these requests
contains multiple questions on the subject of the use of firearms and less
lethal technologies. The requests you have made are as follows:

* 4 March 2010: "The Sticky shocker projectile": MPS reference number
2010030000982
* 16 March 2010: "Training courses given by Raytheon to police
officers": MPS reference number 2010030003861
* 17 March 2010: "The Annual Coasted Training Plan 2004/5": MPS
reference number 2010030003861
* 23 March 2010: "Patten report recommendation 69/70 non-lethal
weapons": MPS reference number 2010030005562
* 13 April 2010: "Noise Generating Devices Medical Reports": MPS
reference number 2010040002822

It is my decision that your five requests are all requests for information
about the use of firearms and less lethal technologies, and that they
should therefore be aggregated in accordance with the provisions of the
Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees)
Regulations 2004. The Regulations allow that when multiple requests for
the same or substantially similar information are received within a short
period of time, a public authority may aggregate the requests, and take
into account the cost that would be incurred in responding to them all.
For this reason, it is my decision that the time needed to determine
whether information is held in respect of these five requests would exceed
the cost threshold of 18 hours/**450. This letter therefore serves as a
refusal notice for the following request:
16 March 2010 (Request transferred to the MPS from the Metropolitan Police
Authority): "Training courses given by Raytheon to police officers": MPS
reference number 2010030003861

I have found a report written by yourselves stating that police officer
have been going on training courses given by Raytheon and as we all know
they make non-lethal weapons.

I would like the documentation to these courses in particular the weapons
they were trained to use, the coast of the courses and how many weapons
have been purchased from Raytheon.

I believe the report you refer to in your request makes reference to 'The
Raytheon Report' - this report concerned opportunities for collaboration
on training between forces, and was commissioned by the Home Office in
2000. Preliminary searches have located no information about training
provided by Raytheon; however, it is not possible to conduct further
searches within the cost threshold. Full details of the refusal notice and
the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act and the Fees
Regulations are provided in the Legal Appendix section below. However, in
order to assist I have provided a number of links to documents that
provide information which may be relevant to your requests, and may help
you to focus future requests on specific information held by the MPS -
they also indicate that firearms and less lethal technologies used by the
police service must first be approved by the Home Office, who conduct
research into the use and effects of both firearms and less lethal
technologies and may therefore hold further information on this subject.

Please be aware that should you wish to make further requests to the MPS
on the subject of firearms and less lethal technologies, you should allow
60 working days from the date of this response before doing so - any
further requests made on these subjects within this time period will be
aggregated with your requests which have already been received.

The relevant links are as follows:

Parliamentary statement on less lethal technologies used by the police
service:

Police: Weapons: 21 June 2007
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa...

Home Office publications:

Police equipment and technology
http://scienceandresearch.homeoffice.gov...

Operational policing: police use of firearms
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operatio...

The following reports, submitted by the MPS to the MPA and published on
the MPA website, provide a history and costs of less lethal technologies
used by the MPS. They also refer to the research conducted into these
technologies by the Home Office:
"MPS position on 'less lethal' technology and options": 28 February 2002
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/200...

Introduction of the 'Baton Gun' weapon system as a 'less lethal' option:
27 June 2002
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/200...

Introduction of the 'baton gun' weapon system as a 'less lethal' option:
19 July 2002
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/x-cop/2...

Introduction of the taser (electronic stun gun) as a less lethal option: 4
April 2003
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/x-cop/2...

MPA support for stun gun as less lethal option: 4 April 2003
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/news/press/2003/03...

Update on the use of Taser: 9 June 2006
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/x-cop/2...

Conversion to the x26 Taser: 27 September 2007
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/x-cop/2...

Taser trial final report: 2 April 2009
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/sop/200...

Firearms training:
MPS firearms policy, performance and training: 28 February 2002
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/200...
A review of long-term arrangements for firearms training: 18 October 2007
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/x-f/200...

Please note that on the 8th of April you contacted the MPS to request an
internal review of the delay in providing a response to this request.
However, this request was transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service
by the Metropolitan Police Authority, which is a separate public authority
to the MPS. The MPS did not receive this request until the 16th of March,
and the statutory deadline of 20 days will have commenced for the MPS on
this date. At the time of your request for an internal review, the request
was still within the statutory deadline for responding. Your response from
the MPS was due on the 15th of April, and I apologise that there has been
a slight delay in sending this response to you on the 19th of April.
If you are dissatisfied with this response, please contact me and an
internal review of this final decision can be instigated.

LEGAL APPENDIX
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees) Regulations 2004 section (4) sets out that the public authority can
take account of the following factors in determining the costs incurred in
relation to the request:
(a) determining whether it holds the information,
(b) locating the information, or a document which may contain the
information,
(c) retrieving the information, or a document which may contain the
information, and
(d) extracting the information from a document containing it.

This letter therefore serves as a refusal notice for the information you
have requested under section 17(5) of the of Information Act:
17 (5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for
information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or 14 applies must,
within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a
notice stating that fact.
Section 12 (1) of the Act states:
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.
In cases where it would exceed the appropriate limit even to determine
whether the requested is held, section 12(2) is also relevant:
12 (2) Subsection (1) does not exempt the public authority from its
obligation to comply with paragraph (a) of section 1(1) unless the
estimated cost of complying with that paragraph alone would exceed the
appropriate limit.
Section 12(4) provides that multiple requests for similar information may
be aggregated:
12 (4) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, in such
circumstances as may be prescribed, where two or more requests for
information are made to a public authority -
(a) by one person, or
(b) by different persons who appear to the public authority to be acting
in concert or in pursuance of a campaign,
the estimated cost of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to
be the estimated total cost of complying with all of them.

Regarding the aggregation of related requests, the Freedom of Information
and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 section
5 (1) and (2)also states:

5 (1) In circumstances in which this regulation applies, where two or more
requests for information to which section 1(1) of the 2000 Act would,
apart from the appropriate limit, to any extent apply, are made to a
public authority -
(a) by one person, or
(b) by different persons who appear to the public authority to be acting
in concert or in pursuance of a campaign,
the estimated cost of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to
be the total costs which may be taken into account by the authority, under
regulation 4, of complying with all of them.

(2) This regulation applies in circumstances in which-
(a) the two or more requests referred to in paragraph (1) relate, to any
extent, to the same or similar information, and
(b) those requests are received by the public authority within any period
of sixty consecutive working days.

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 me at [email address] quoting the reference number
above.

Yours sincerely

Louise Lander
Higher 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 1TR

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