Freedom Of Information
PO BOX 9
Laburnum Road
Wakefield
WF1 3QP
Information Management
Tel: 01924 296006
Fax: 01924 292726
Email:
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxx.xx
Website:
www.westyorkshire.police.uk
Our ref: 01549/21 01547/21
Date: 30/03/2021
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your request for information received by West Yorkshire Police on 09/03/201.
ICO Guidance states:
When a public authority is estimating whether the appropriate limit is likely to be exceeded, it can include
the costs of complying with two or more requests if the conditions laid out in regulation 5 of the Fees
Regulations can be satisfied. Those conditions require the requests to be:
made by one person, or by different persons who appear to the public authority to be acting in concert
or in pursuance of a campaign;
made for the same or similar information; and
received by the public authority within any period of 60 consecutive working days.
Your requests have been combined as they both relate to sexual offences, in the same time period, with
the same breakdown.
You requested the following information:
I would like information about the number of cases regarding Childhood sexual exploitation which were
reported from February 2019 to February 2021.
I would like information about the number of cases regarding Rape and Sexual Assault which were
reported from February 2019 to February 2021.
I would like it to include:
The date in which it was reported.
The date the crime occurred.
The age of the victim.
How many people were charged?
How long was their conviction for?
Unfortunately, West Yorkshire Police are unable to provide you with the information requested.
There are 411 offences which resulted in a charge outcome. More than one offender could have been
charged with the offence, however based on the minimum 411 records would require manually checking
to identify if the offender was convicted for the offence. At 5 minutes per record this would take 34 hours.
It is estimated that the cost of providing / locating the information you seek within your request would
exceed the time threshold. Where a reasonable estimate has been made that the appropriate limit would
be exceeded, there is no requirement for a public authority to undertake the work up to the limit.
Please see Appendix A for the full legislative explanation as to why West Yorkshire Police are unable to
provide the information.
West Yorkshire Police wil assist you in negotiating the possibility of the provision of some of the
information requested. Please see the Advice and Assistance under Section 16 of Appendix A.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
If you are not satisfied with how this request has been handled or with the information provided, please
read the advice notice attached to this letter. If you do wish to take up your right of complaint, please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future correspondence.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Burton
Disclosure Officer
Appendix A
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 creates a statutory right of access to information held by public
authorities. A public authority in receipt of a request must, if permitted, state under Section 1(a) of the
Act, whether it holds the requested information and, if held, then communicate that information to the
applicant under Section 1(b) of the Act.
The right of access to information is not without exception and is subject to a number of exemptions
which are designed to enable public authorities to withhold information that is unsuitable for release.
Importantly the Act is designed to place information into the public domain, that is, once access to
information is granted to one person under the Act, it is then considered public information and must be
communicated to any individual should a request be received.
DECISION
This letter serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Section 17 of the Act provides:
(1) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is to any extent relying on a claim
that information is exempt information must, within the time for complying with Section 1(1), give the
applicant a notice which:-
(a) states the fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question, and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
REASONS FOR DECISION
The reason that we are unable to provide you with this information is covered by the following
exemption(s):
Section 12 - Where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit
West Yorkshire Police can confirm that we hold the information you seek, however it is not held in an
easily retrievable format.
There are 411 offences which resulted in a charge outcome. More than one offender could have been
charged with the offence, however based on the minimum 411 records would require manually checking
to identify if the offender was convicted for the offence. At 5 minutes per record this would take 34 hours.
It has been estimated that the cost of providing you with this information 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, which currently stands at £450 worth of work.
Our NPCC guidance states that we do not issue fees notices and therefore in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.
West Yorkshire Police have utilised Section 12, which states "A public authority does not have to comply
with a request for information if the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit", this is further
affirmed by the Decision Notice issued by the Information Commissioner's Of ice (Reference:
FS50143930), and Guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Of ice on Using the Fees
Regulations.
ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE
Under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, my duty to provide advice and assistance to
persons who have made request for information, please be advised that West Yorkshire Police can offer
the following advice:
We can provide the number of recorded crimes, whether the crime resulted in one or more charges and
the associated victim ages.
Please note that police forces do not use generic systems or identical procedures for capturing the data.
For these reasons this response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with
responses you may receive from other police forces.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
1. Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or you think the decision is incorrect?
You have the right to request that West Yorkshire Police review their decision. Prior to lodging a formal
complaint, we encouraged that you discuss the decision with the case officer that has dealt with your
request.
2. 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 wil be able to discuss the decision, explain any
issues and assist with any problems.
3. Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of West Yorkshire Police, made under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding access to information, you can lodge a writ en complaint
to have the decision internally reviewed.
A West Yorkshire Police internal review of your decision, wil be carried out by a senior member of staff
who is fully trained in interpreting Freedom of Information legislation. The review wil be independent
conducted, regardless to the original decision made.
Complaints wil only be treated as valid, if they are received by West Yorkshire Police within a 60 day
timeframe from the date of the decision letter. They must include the original FOI Reference Number and
can only be submitted in writing, by using the following contact details:
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxx.xx
or
West Yorkshire Police
FOI Internal Reviews
PO Box 9
Laburnum Road
Wakefield
WF1 3QP
In all possible circumstances, West Yorkshire Police wil aim to complete and respond to your internal
review within 20 working days. However this date may be extended in exceptional circumstances, by
another 20 working days.
4. The Information Commissioner
If you are stil dissatisfied with the internal review decision, made by West Yorkshire Police. You can then
make an 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.ico.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can phone their helpline or write to them at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
FOI Help Line: 0303 1231113