Freedom of Information Request

Reference: FOI 101006963390

Dear Applicant,

Please consider this as our formal response to your information request which
was logged under the above reference number and treated as a request made under
the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000.

Your request:
I wish to make an FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act, 2003.
Please provide, within 20 working days:
1) The number of premises (this means hotels as well as any other premises that have
been repurposed) currently being used in the council area to house asylum
seekers/migrants/ those individuals waiting to be processed.
2) Please provide the number of individuals being housed in the council area.
3) Please provide the names of the premises being used to house these
individuals
(if unable to provide this information please proceed with the rest of the
request)
4) The estimated annual cost to the council of housing and supporting these
individuals
(if unable to provide this information please proceed with the rest of the
request)

Our Response:

Questions 1-3

We have concluded that the information you are seeking in questions 1-3 is exempt
from disclosure under Section 38(1) (a) & (b) of the FOIA. This provides an
exemption from disclosing information if it would or would be likely to (a) endanger the physical or mental health of any individual or (b) endanger the safety of any individual

Section 38 is a qualified exemption and accordingly,
arguments for and against disclosure in terms of the public interest test (PIT)
can be found below:

Arguments in favour of releasing the requested information:

The disclosure of the requested information would
ensure transparency of the procedures undertaken by SMBC in assisting with the
accommodation of individuals who are either migrants or asylum seeker.

Arguments against releasing the requested information:

Releasing the information including the number of individuals, number of premises and names of premises used to house migrants and asylum seekers could increase the risk and the likelihood of adverse effects towards the individuals being housed in this accommodation. This could lead to them being exposed to threats, harassment and suffering mentally or physically due to this.

Conclusion:

SMBC is aware that there is a heightened interest in asylum
seekers and the topic is an emotive subject which has resulted in protests.
After concluding the (PIT) it is our view that the safety of the individuals
living or working in the establishments outweighs the public interest in
disclosing the information requested.

Question 4
A: £0, the cost of housing and supporting the individuals is covered by the Home
Office and not the Council.

Section 16 - duty to provide advice and assistance
Under this section we would advise you to make further enquiries with the Home Office direct as they hold accurate and up to date information in relation to your
request. However please be aware that similar FOI requests submitted to the
home office have also been exempted under Section 38.

You can contact the Home Office FOI Department via email on:
[email address]

Or
alternatively at :

Home Office
Direct Communications Unit
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
United Kingdom

Email- [email address]
Telephone-020 7035 4848

Documents held by Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council may fall under the
Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015. If you receive a Council
document and you wish to use it for a new purpose, please identify the document
in question and describe how you intend to re-use it. We will aim to respond to
any re-use request within 20 working days.

You can find more information about FOI requests via the following link:

Freedom of Information - Stockport Council
<https://www.stockport.gov.uk/freedom-of-...>

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request for information,
you can ask for an internal review however, you must do so within 40 working
days from the date of this response. Any internal review will be carried out by
an officer who was not involved with your original request. To request an
internal review, please contact us by emailing[Stockport Council request email]
<mailto:[Stockport Council request email]> or call 0161 474 4299, quoting your reference
number.

Following the completion of an internal review, if you are dissatisfied with
the outcome, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) via
the following contact points:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Home | ICO <https://ico.org.uk/>

0303 123 1113

Kind regards,

Freedom of Information Officer

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

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