27th November 2020
Freedom of Information Request Reference No: FOI 003666/20
I write in connection with your request for information received by the Norfolk and Suffolk
Constabularies on the 3rd November 2020 in which you sought access to the following information:
Over the last 5 years the amount of requests the force has received from TV
Licensing/Capita to attend a property to assist with executing a search warrant/prevent a
breach of the peace. If possible I would appreciate the total requests actually attended by
officers or declined by the force and all broken down by year.
A copy of any guidance/policy/documents relating to assisting TV Licensing (or any private
corporations including, but not limited to: Bailiffs, TVL, Councils etc) when attending a
property to enforce a warrant, such as deployment criteria, role of impartiality at scene etc.
Over the same period broken down by year, the amount of incidents where the words TV
Licence/TV Licensing or BBC are reported and the reason for report, i.e. harassment,
assault etc.
Response to your Request
The response provided below is correct as of 16th November 2020.
Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies have considered your request and our response is below.
To identify whether any relevant information is held, we have undertaken research of recorded
incidents using the words ‘BBC’ and ‘TV Licence’. This has returned over 1,000 reports for the
requested period in Norfolk and Suffolk. We would need to read through each of these to see if
any hold information which would be relevant to your request.
When responding to a request for information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, a
public authority is not obliged to provide information if the authority estimates that the cost of the
retrieval of the information requested would be in excess of £450 (equivalent to 18 hours work).
The costs criteria relates to a request in its entirety, which means that if we cannot retrieve all of
the information requested within the costs limit, we are not obliged to retrieve
any of the
information requested.
Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies estimate that to retrieve all the information you have requested
would exceed cost in excess of £450 (per force).
To review over 1,000 reports, estimating an average of 5 minutes each, this would exceed 83
hours.
This would exceed the appropriate limit for dealing with a Freedom of Information request, in terms
of costs, and therefore Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act applies.
Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act states that a public authority is not obliged 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 Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, defines the
‘appropriate limit’ for the Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies as £450 and specifies that this sum
equates to 18 hours work at a standard rate of £25 per hour.
In accordance with Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), this serves as a Refusal
Notice for your request.
Advice & Assistance
Although a keyword search could be carried out, for a shorter time period, by their very nature
these are not a reliable way to retrieve information for a request under the Act.
This response wil be published on the Constabularies web-site under the Freedom of Information
pages:-
https://www.norfolk.police.uk/about-us/our-data/disclosure-log
https://www.suffolk.police.uk/services/freedom-information/disclosure-logs
Should you have any further queries concerning this request, please contact Amanda Gibson, FOI
Decision Maker, quoting the reference number shown above.
A full copy of the Freedom of Information Act (2000) can be viewed on the ‘Office of Public Sector
Information’ web-site;
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/
Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies are not responsible for the content, or the reliability, of the
website referenced. The Constabulary cannot guarantee that this link wil work all of the time, and
we have no control over the availability of the linked pages.
Your Right to Request a Review of Decisions Made Under the Terms of the
Freedom of Information Act (2000).
If you are unhappy with how your request has been handled, or if you think the decision is
incorrect, you have the right to ask the Norfolk and Suffolk Constabulary to review their decision.
Ask Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies to look at the decision again.
If you are dissatisfied with the decision made by Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies under the
Freedom of Information Act (2000), regarding access to information, you must notify the Norfolk
and Suffolk Constabulary that you are requesting a review within 40 days of the date of its
response to your Freedom of Information request
. Requests for a review should be made in
writing and addressed to:
Freedom of Information Decision Maker
Information Management Department
Norfolk Constabulary
Operations and Communications Centre
Jubilee House
Falconers Chase
Wymondham
Norfolk NR18 0WW
OR
Email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxx.xx
In all possible circumstances Norfolk and Suffolk Constabulary wil aim to respond to your request
for us to look at our decision again within 20 working days of receipt of your request for an internal
review.
The Information Commissioner.
After lodging a request for a review with Norfolk and Suffolk Constabulary, if you are stil
dissatisfied with the decision, you can apply 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.ico.org.uk or contact them at the address shown below:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
Document Outline