Freedom of Information Request in relation to the provision of data to the RSPCA
Dear Gwent Police,
I am very concerned about the extent to which private information and data held by the police is being provided to private organisations, such as the RSPCA.
The RSPCA is a private organisation. Its employees are ordinary members of the public. Yet, I believe that there are constabularies which have private arrangements with the RSPCA for the provision of information to that organisation of private and sensitive information about individuals, which information might be of use to the RSPCA and its ruling Councillors in their political and other objectives.
As you may know, the RSPCA is run by a ruling Council of 26 persons. At least 18 of these people are either members of, or actively support, an extreme animal rights organisation called Animal Aid. I am concerned that data concerning individuals who do not support the extreme animal rights agenda of the RSPCA and Animal Aid may be falling into the hands of those organisations, and their "partners".
I understand that the RSPCA are able to use the police radio network, called Airwave, but that requests for such things as PNC checks are sometimes handled directly by the RSPCA's Political Headquarters in Horsham. As you may be aware, the RSPCA has a close relationship with many journalists - I am concerned that any channel for information to be obtained unlawfully from the police and/or provided by the police in an unregulated manner should be closed off.
Would you therefore please provide me with data, detailing how many requests for information from the police have been received by the Constabulary from the RSPCA annually during the last five years broken down annually.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Martin
Dear Mr Martin,
Freedom of Information Enquiry Ref : 2011/14810
I acknowledge receipt of your query received by this office on 31 August 2011 requesting information concerning:-
Please provide me with data, detailing how many
requests for information from the police have been received by the
Constabulary from the RSPCA annually during the last five years
broken down annually.
PLEASE NOTE: We will require clarification before we are able to process your request: PLease can you clarify what you mean by ' requests for information'? As soon as we have received your reply we shall process your request without further delay.
If you have any questions regarding your request please contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Freya Bryant
FOI Assistant
Gwent Police
01633 643024
[email address]
Dear Gwent Police,
To clarify by request for information I specifically mean any request recieved from the RSPCA to your police force relating to any private individuals personal and criminal conviction details which may be held on the PNC, this may include criminal convictions, previous police history, or other data stored on the PNC, i.e. specific data not normally accessable to ordinary members of the public.
Please provide this information over a 5 year period, with an annual breakdown of enquiries recieved.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Martin
Dear Gwent Police,
To clarify by request for information I specifically mean any request recieved from the RSPCA to your police force relating to any private individuals personal and criminal conviction details which may be held on the PNC, this may include criminal
convictions, previous police history, or other data stored on the PNC, i.e. specific data not normally accessable to ordinary members of the public.
Please provide this information for the last 5 calendar years, with an annual breakdown of specified enquiries recieved.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Martin
Dear Mr Martin
Freedom of Information Request 2011/14810
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which was received in this office on the 31/08/11
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at, Section 1(1) (a), is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at, Section1 (1) (b), is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
Under the provisions of those sections of FOIA, I can confirm that information you requested is held by Gwent Police for the below questions however we are un-able to comply with your request to supply data.
The information that you are seeking is in relation to the following:
Would you therefore please provide me with data, detailing how many requests for information from the police have been received by the Constabulary from the RSPCA annually during the last five years broken down annually.
The exemption applicable to the information you have requested for this question can be found at Section 12(1) of the Act and this refusal notice is issued under Section 17(5).
Section 12(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
In the case of a police force, the appropriate limit is set at £450, which is calculated at £25 per hour (i.e. 18 hours).
Unfortunately the requested information is not routinely recorded therefore in order to extract this data a manual trawl through all logs with RSPCA noted in the free text search would be required, to establish if this was a request for information from the RSPCA. Given the number of logs and the fact the records would have to be manually examined this would take more than 18 hours of staff time therefore we are unable to answer this question and the exemption is engaged.
In relation to your request, and the fact that one of your questions will take more than 18 hours to collate, this then negates the authority from replying to the rest of your request under the Freedom of Information legislation.
The Freedom of Information Act is a public disclosure regime, not a private regime. Any information disclosed under the Act is thereafter deemed to be in the public domain, and therefore freely available to the general public and will be published on the Gwent Police website.
I hope this information is satisfactory to your request however, should you feel dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was handled, I have attached the Gwent Police FOI Appeals Procedure for your information
Thank you for your interest in Gwent Police.
Dylan Collins
Freedom of Information Officer/ Swyddog Rhyddid Gwybodaeth
Room 276
Gwent Police.
01633 643014
[email address]
Dear Mr Martin,
Freedom of Information Request 2011/14900
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 which was received in this office on the 18^th October 2011.
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at,
Section 1(1) (a), is to confirm or deny whether the information specified
in a request is held. The second duty at, Section1 (1) (b), is to disclose
information that has been confirmed as being held.
Under the provisions of those sections of FOIA, I can confirm that
information you requested is held by Gwent Police for the below questions
so we are able to comply with your request to supply data.
The information that you are seeking is in relation to the following:
Q1. How many Employees of the RSPCA, or individuals working on behalf of
the RSPCA are authorised by your Police Force to make PNC, STORM or other
information/data enquiries on all or any systems you operate.
A1. No Employees of the RSPCA, or individuals working on behalf of the
RSPCA are authorised by Gwent Police to make PNC, STORM or other
information/data enquiries on all or any systems operated by Gwent Police.
A2. Please specify if these individuals have direct or indirect access to
such information and systems.
A2. N\A
The Freedom of Information Act is a public disclosure regime, not a
private regime. Any information disclosed under the Act is thereafter
deemed to be in the public domain, and therefore freely available to the
general public and will be published on the Gwent Police website.
I hope this information is satisfactory to your request however, should
you feel dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request
was handled, I have attached the Gwent Police FOI Appeals Procedure for
your information.
The Gwent Police Freedom of Information Webpage can be found at:
[1]http://www.gwent.police.uk/foi.htm
The Gwent Police Freedom of Information Disclosure Log, where we publish
copies of all Freedom of Information requests and answers, can be found
at:
[2]http://www.gwent.police.uk/foi_09/foires...
Thank you for your interest in Gwent Police.
Dylan Colins
Gwent Police has the 3rd highest reduction in crime in England and Wales.
Heddlu Gwent brofodd y 3ydd gostyngiad mwyaf mewn troseddau yng Nghymru a
Lloegr.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.gwent.police.uk/foi.htm
2. http://www.gwent.police.uk/foi_09/foires...
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now