Emergency Services Show Hospitality

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service,

Emergency Services Show - Hospitality

The following request for information is made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

It is understood that commercial providers of goods and equipment to fire and rescue services are offering hospitality to officers, elected members and fire service staff during the period of the Emergency Services Show (ESS) at the NEC, 7-8 September 2021.

Please provide the following information regarding invitations to hospitality events whilst attending the ESS. Such hospitality is understood to include: lunches/dinners, hotels, transport costs, golf sessions etc

1) what invitations have been received by commercial companies for Officers or Members of your Fire and Rescue Service to attended hospitality events funded by the company during the period of the above Emergency Services Show?

2) what invitations referred to in 1 above have been accepted by officers or Members of your Fire and Rescue Service?

3) please provide the name of the commercial company and the hospitality event to which each invitation relates to?

4) what is the estimated individual value of each hospitality event to which officers or Members have been invited to participate in?

5) please provide a copy of your Fire and Rescue Authority receipt of hospitality policy.

Yours faithfully,

Jamal Sarbin

SHQ - Shaw, Robert, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Dear Sir/Madam

FOI 1218/21 - Hospitality

Thank you for your email which was received on 21 August 2021, requesting the following information:

Please provide the following information regarding invitations to hospitality events whilst attending the ESS. Such hospitality is understood to include: lunches/dinners, hotels, transport costs, golf sessions etc

1) what invitations have been received by commercial companies for Officers or Members of your Fire and Rescue Service to attended hospitality events funded by the company during the period of the above Emergency Services Show?

2) what invitations referred to in 1 above have been accepted by officers or Members of your Fire and Rescue Service?

3) please provide the name of the commercial company and the hospitality event to which each invitation relates to?

4) what is the estimated individual value of each hospitality event to which officers or Members have been invited to participate in?

5) please provide a copy of your Fire and Rescue Authority receipt of hospitality policy.

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be answered as soon as possible and at the latest within 20 working days, (20 September 2021).

Please note that due to the Covid-19 Pandemic Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is prioritising the delivery of our Emergency Response service. As operational personnel are often required to provide information to facilitate Freedom of Information Requests please note that there may be some delay in providing you the requested information. Please be assured however that we do intent to provide the information (if appropriate under the act) within the timescales wherever possible.

In the unlikely event that we are not able to respond within 20 working days we will write to you to explain why and provide an anticipated completion date.

In line with guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office, LFRS may make a charge for the provision of information – for example in order to cover the costs of postage (in line with the relevant postal charges) or charges for printing and copying (which will reflect photocopying charges levied by public libraries).

You will be informed if a fee is to be applied before information is to be provided.

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact the Incident Information Officer quoting the reference number given in the subject line of this acknowledgement.

Regards

Corporate Programme and Intelligence
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Email dp&[email address]

SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES
Call 0800 169 1125 to book a free Home Fire Safety Check.
Visit our website: www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk
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SHQ - Shaw, Robert, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Dear Sir/Madam

Freedom of Information Request - FOI 1218/21

I am writing further to your email of 21 August 2021 where you requested information relating to Hospitality at the Emergency Services Show in September.

Please find our decision below:

1) what invitations have been received by commercial companies for Officers or Members of your Fire and Rescue Service to attended hospitality events funded by the company during the period of the above Emergency Services Show?

Nil Return

2) what invitations referred to in 1 above have been accepted by officers or Members of your Fire and Rescue Service?

Nil Return

3) please provide the name of the commercial company and the hospitality event to which each invitation relates to?

Nil Return

4) what is the estimated individual value of each hospitality event to which officers or Members have been invited to participate in?

Nil Return

5) please provide a copy of your Fire and Rescue Authority receipt of hospitality policy.

ACCEPTANCE OF HOSPITALITY

As with gifts it is difficult to set out hard and fast rules as to what is and is not acceptable in every situation.

An employee must exercise caution however when hospitality is offered by a person or body having or seeking business, contracts or a decision from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, particularly where the offer is made to an individual employee.

In accepting gifts or becoming involved in hospitality activities, Members and Officers should only engage with those organisations and partners, which can demonstrate an adherence to an overarching approach of openness, fairness and impartiality in all their activity.

In order to achieve this we must ensure that the hospitality does not contravene our general duty, which is to:

• Promote equality of opportunity
• Promote good relations
• Eliminate unlawful discrimination

In general terms it will usually be more acceptable to join in hospitality widely offered to a number of clients or would-be clients than to accept offers of hospitality made solely to an employee.

Acceptable Hospitality

Whilst acceptability is a question of judgement, employees should be able to demonstrate that the offer of hospitality is acceptable in terms of the furtherance of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service objectives. If this is unclear then guidance should be sought from a senior officer.

The following are examples of acceptable hospitality:

• A working meal of modest standard provided, for example, to enable the parties to continue to discuss business.
• Invitations to attend functions as a representative of the Fire Service or by virtue of their professional position (institute events, meeting, dinners, seminars, civic functions, etc), where others have also been invited.
• An invitation to attend a general presentation or event where representatives of other organisations have been invited and where quite clearly no attempt to exercise improper influence on the conduct of an employee may be alleged of the host or person offering the invitation.

Unacceptable Hospitality

Circumstances at the time are likely to have a considerable influence on whether an offer of hospitality is acceptable or should be declined. Employees should establish whether acceptance of the hospitality is acceptable in furtherance of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service objectives, and it is reasonable to seek guidance from senior officers to do so.

If offers of hospitality are made on the basis that it is offered for your exclusive use, such offers should normally be refused.

The following are examples of unacceptable hospitality:

• Holidays, weekend breaks.
• Free access to facilities, e.g. the payment of annual golf club fees, membership of health and fitness clubs or social clubs, etc.
• Exclusive personal use of company flats or other privileges such as reserved boxes at race meetings, test matches, etc.
• Offers of hotel accommodation, when not associated with attending a work related event.
• Any offers of hospitality where the employee feels that there may be an attempt to exert improper influence on his/her professional conduct.

Procedure For Dealing With Offers of Hospitality

All offers of hospitality received by an employee must be reported immediately to his/her Line Manager.

A record should also be kept by the department or the section of the details of the invitation in the same manner as that for recording details of gifts received. (paragraph 2.3 refers).

In the first instance the Line Manager should exercise his/her discretion in deciding whether or not the offer of hospitality should be accepted.

If necessary, should the Line Manager be uncertain of what action to take the advice of the appropriate Section Head / Departmental Head should be sought.

The decision as to whether the offer of hospitality be accepted or declined together with relevant comments, where appropriate, should be entered on the record.

Provision of Hospitality By Employees of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Modest hospitality is an accepted courtesy of business relationship and is an important aspect of customer care and image projection.

However, employees must ensure that the level of hospitality offered is reasonable, appropriate and can be fully justified.

If you are unhappy with the information you have received in relation to your request and wish to make an appeal or request a review of our decision, you should write to the Director of Strategy and Planning at the address shown below or by e-mail.

The Director of Strategy and Planning Delivery
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Service HQ
Garstang Road
Fulwood
Preston
PR2 3LH

Appeals or reviews should be made within 40 working days of our response to your request being issued. Any appeals or requests for review received outside of the 40 working days will be refused. Please note this is in line with the Information Commissioner’s own working practices.

If you are not content with the outcome of your appeal or review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
www.ico.gov.uk

Should you have any queries with regards to this email or require any additional information, please contact me on the details listed below

Yours faithfully

Corporate Programme and Intelligence
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Email dp&[email address]

SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES
Call 0800 169 1125 to book a free Home Fire Safety Check.
Visit our website: www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk
Facebook: Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Twitter: @LancashireFRS

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