Coronavirus legislation enforcement guidance to officers

The request was partially successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Please kindly provide a copy of the guidance given to your officers regarding the enforcement of the Coronavirus legislation covering social distancing, lockdown rules and parties including:
1. When to issue a warning
2. When to issue a fixed penalty notice
3. When to make an arrest
4. Locations where the legislation should not be enforced

Yours faithfully,

Amanda Hart
for Stop UK lies and Corruption.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Thank you for your email to the Metropolitan Police Service Data Office.

 

Please note the Data Office Triage Team operate Monday to Friday only,
this department is closed during bank holidays.

A response will follow in due course.

 

We do receive a very high volume of requests and although we endeavour to
respond to all of them as quickly as possible, there may, at times, be a
few days turnaround time, should that be the case with regards to
responding to your email, we do respectfully ask you to bear with us while
we clear all the emails we received prior to yours.

 

The following applications are currently processed through the Data Office
Triage Team mailbox:

 

• Right of Access Requests (Formerly Subject Access Requests)

 

• Freedom of Information Act Requests

 

• Association of British Insurers/NPCC Memorandum of Understanding
requests

 

• Right to Erasure and Right to Rectification Requests

 

• Requests under the Environmental Information Regulations 2000 (EIR)

 

 

Please visit www.met.police.uk for enquiries relating to:

 

I.            Road Traffic Collisions,

II.           Sarah’s Law – Registered sex offender data

III.          Clare’s Law – Domestic violence offender data

IV.         Disclosures for family court proceedings

V.           Publication Scheme and statistics

NOTICE - This email and any attachments are solely for the intended
recipient and may be confidential. If you have received this email in
error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Do not
use, copy or disclose the information contained in this email or in any
attachment without the permission of the sender. Metropolitan Police
Service (MPS) communication systems are monitored to the extent permitted
by law and any email and/or attachments may be read by monitoring staff.
Only specified personnel are authorised to conclude binding agreements on
behalf of the MPS by email and no responsibility is accepted for
unauthorised agreements reached with other personnel. While reasonable
precautions have been taken to ensure no viruses are present in this
email, its security and that of any attachments cannot be guaranteed.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][the Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

 

Your ref: 
Our ref: 01/FOI/22/023573

 

03/03/2022

 

 

Dear Ms Hart,

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/22/023573

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 28/02/2022. I note you seek
access to the following information:

 

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Please kindly provide a copy of the guidance given to your officers
regarding the enforcement of the Coronavirus legislation covering social
distancing, lockdown rules and parties including:
1. When to issue a warning
2. When to issue a fixed penalty notice
3. When to make an arrest
4. Locations where the legislation should not be enforced

 

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act).  We aim to provide a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act. The deadline
date for your request is 28/03/2022

 

During the first part of the national lockdown last year our staff were
prevented access to our offices to conduct essential work that could not
be carried out remotely, this caused a large amount of backlog and even
though lockdown restrictions have eased in more recent times we are still
affected by the various restrictions that were in place during the
majority of 2020. We do now have a limited number of staff able to attend
our offices and it will take time for us to resume our normal service. 

 

Please be reassured that the vast majority of work is carried out
unhindered, but due to current circumstances some delays may be
unavoidable. The MPS take your rights under data protection regulations
very seriously and every effort will be made to ensure a response is
provided within statutory deadlines. We apologise for any inconvenience
and will endeavour to process your request as quickly as is practicable. 

 

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [the Met request email], quoting the reference number above. Should your
enquiry relate to the logging or allocations process we will be able to
assist you directly and where your enquiry relates to other matters (such
as the status of the request) we will be able to pass on a message and/or
advise you of the relevant contact details. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Data Office Triage Team

 

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 to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

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, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 313

Sidcup

DA15 0HH

[3][the Met request email] 

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 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.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

 

 

      Official Sensitive

 

 

NOTICE - This email and any attachments are solely for the intended
recipient and may be confidential. If you have received this email in
error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Do not
use, copy or disclose the information contained in this email or in any
attachment without the permission of the sender. Metropolitan Police
Service (MPS) communication systems are monitored to the extent permitted
by law and any email and/or attachments may be read by monitoring staff.
Only specified personnel are authorised to conclude binding agreements on
behalf of the MPS by email and no responsibility is accepted for
unauthorised agreements reached with other personnel. While reasonable
precautions have been taken to ensure no viruses are present in this
email, its security and that of any attachments cannot be guaranteed.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[the Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/
3. mailto:[the Met request email]

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)'s handling of my FOI request 01/FOI/22/023573 'Coronavirus legislation enforcement guidance to officers'.

We understand there may be a delay in providing this information but as there have been no changes to the time limits at which we can request an internal review it must therefore be entered today.

You have breached Section 10 of the FoIA.
Section 10 of the Act sets out the time frames within which a public authority must respond to an FOIA request.

* It applies whenever the public authority has:
- a duty under section 1(1)(a) confirm or deny whether the information is held;
- a duty under section 1(1)(b) to provide information that is held to the requester;
- a duty under section 17 to issue a refusal notice explaining why a request has been refused.
* Authorities must respond to requests promptly, and by the twentieth working day following the date of receipt of the request.
* A working day is any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a day which is a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in any part of the United Kingdom.
* Where required, an authority may claim a reasonable extension of time to consider the public interest test. An extension beyond an additional 20 working days should be exceptional.

You are also reminded it is the Information Commissioner who recommends internal reviews are requested when authorities fail to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. They state it is your chance to report on what went wrong and they see it as your opportunity to set things right.

You are under no legal obligation to complete an internal review, but it is considered 'good practice' to do so as it will help you to avoid further breaches. Should you inform us that you are not completing one, or claim there "is nothing to review", there is no further legal requirement for us to wait any longer. Be advised we would then pass the matter directly to the Information Commissioner.

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

Yours faithfully,

Amanda Hart
for Stop UK lies and Corruption.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Thank you for your email to the Metropolitan Police Service Data Office.

 

Please note the Data Office Triage Team operate Monday to Friday only,
this department is closed during bank holidays.

A response will follow in due course.

 

We do receive a very high volume of requests and although we endeavour to
respond to all of them as quickly as possible, there may, at times, be a
few days turnaround time, should that be the case with regards to
responding to your email, we do respectfully ask you to bear with us while
we clear all the emails we received prior to yours.

 

The following applications are currently processed through the Data Office
Triage Team mailbox:

 

• Right of Access Requests (Formerly Subject Access Requests)

 

• Freedom of Information Act Requests

 

• Association of British Insurers/NPCC Memorandum of Understanding
requests

 

• Right to Erasure and Right to Rectification Requests

 

• Requests under the Environmental Information Regulations 2000 (EIR)

 

 

Please visit www.met.police.uk for enquiries relating to:

 

I.            Road Traffic Collisions,

II.           Sarah’s Law – Registered sex offender data

III.          Clare’s Law – Domestic violence offender data

IV.         Disclosures for family court proceedings

V.           Publication Scheme and statistics

NOTICE - This email and any attachments are solely for the intended
recipient and may be confidential. If you have received this email in
error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Do not
use, copy or disclose the information contained in this email or in any
attachment without the permission of the sender. Metropolitan Police
Service (MPS) communication systems are monitored to the extent permitted
by law and any email and/or attachments may be read by monitoring staff.
Only specified personnel are authorised to conclude binding agreements on
behalf of the MPS by email and no responsibility is accepted for
unauthorised agreements reached with other personnel. While reasonable
precautions have been taken to ensure no viruses are present in this
email, its security and that of any attachments cannot be guaranteed.

Amanda Hart left an annotation ()

Pass onto ICO if no response by 9th June 2022.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

Good afternoon Ms Hart,

Freedom of Information Review Reference No: 01/FOI/22/024185

Thank you for your e-mail and please see the attached complaint acknowledgement in respect of your request.

With kind regards,

Data Office Triage Team
Data Governance
Data Office
Metropolitan Police Service
Email: [email address]
Core location: P.O. Box 313, Sidcup, DA15 0HH

show quoted sections

Cyclops on behalf of Yvette Taylor, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

2 Attachments

 

      Official

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][The Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

 

Your ref: 
Our ref: 01/FOI/22/024185

 

13/04/2022

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Ms Hart

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/22/024185

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Yvette Taylor

 

 

      Official

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[The Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/

Amanda Hart left an annotation ()

Put into hands of ICO after allowing an additional week.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Hart

 

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Alyson Parker

Information Manager – Freedom of Information

 

NOTICE - This email and any attachments are solely for the intended
recipient and may be confidential. If you have received this email in
error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Do not
use, copy or disclose the information contained in this email or in any
attachment without the permission of the sender. Metropolitan Police
Service (MPS) communication systems are monitored to the extent permitted
by law and any email and/or attachments may be read by monitoring staff.
Only specified personnel are authorised to conclude binding agreements on
behalf of the MPS by email and no responsibility is accepted for
unauthorised agreements reached with other personnel. While reasonable
precautions have been taken to ensure no viruses are present in this
email, its security and that of any attachments cannot be guaranteed.

Amanda Hart left an annotation ()

Informed ICO this may now be closed.