HMP Wormwood Scrubs Prisoner Accommodation - Heating
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Dear HM Prison & Probation Service,
Re: HMP Wormwood Scrubs -
1. at what external temperatures does the prison's Works Department, who monitor and record daily external temperatures, switch ON in-cell heating?
2. at what external temperatures does the prison's Works Department, who monitor and record daily external temperatures, switch OFF in-cell heating?
3. For the period 1st January 2023 to 31st January 2023 what daily external temperatures were recorded by the prison's Works Department and disclose a copy of the same?
Yours faithfully,
Mark Leech
Dear Mr Leech
Please see attached a letter regarding your Freedom of Information Act
requests of 12 February.
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HM Prison and Probation Service Briefing & Correspondence Team
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Dear HMPPS Correspondence,
I am not sure I can be any clearer than I have already, but I will try in an effort to assist you - four people I have shown this FOI request to, including two FOIA Officers, tell me they have no problem understanding what is being requested.
Notwithstanding that, in an effort to make it doubly clear I respond as follows.
Prisoner cellular accommodation in a prison is fitted with heating as a statutory requirement.
That heating throughout the year is turned on and off.
In the winter when the outside ambient temperature drops to a certain figure, expressed in either degree Celsius or Fahrenheit, the in-cell heating is switched ON.
In spring or summer when the outside temperature rises to a (warmer) certain figure expressed in either degree Celsius or Fahrenheit, the in-cell heating is switched OFF.
For the two prisons stated what are those temperatures?
I have spoken to several Governors and a PGD who have each told me that the outside ambient temperatures are recorded by each prison's respective Works Department who operate the prison boiler, and when the appropriate temperatures are reached the prisoner in-cell heating is switched on or off accordingly.
My request is very simple, and given this explanation ought to be even more easily understood; for each of the two establishments separately, please provide the data requested.
Yours sincerely,
MARK LEECH
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Good afternoon Mr Leech,
Please see attached response to your FOIA request dated 14 March 2024.
Thank you
B. Raby
HM Prison and Probation Service Briefing & Correspondence Team
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Dear HM Prison & Probation Service,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of HM Prison & Probation Service's handling of my FOI request 'HMP Wandsworth Prisoner Accommodation - Heating'.
You have provided the requested information in respect of HMP Wormwood Scrubs but you have failed to provide it in respect of HMP Wandsworth responding:
"HMP Wandsworth
Regarding your request relating to HMP Wandsworth, the MOJ does not hold any information in the scope of your request. This is because external temperatures are not recorded at the prison and as such, the heating systems at HMP Wandsworth are not reliant on this."
Your failure was in failing to provide information on which the heating system at HMP Wandsworth IS Reliant in respect of its operation. As a public authority you have a duty to assist where you say the information is not held by advising on how a reframed request, and in what format, may produce the data that was requested as which you clearly understood in respect of Wormwood Scrubs.
In respect of HMP Wandsworth what does the heating system rely on in order to operate? You should disclosed this information and whether HMP Wandsworth has a Building Management System (BMS) which operates at HMP Wandsworth in the same way as Wormwood Scrubs; there is a duty to assist that you have failed to discharge - wasting yet more taxpayers money.
The MOJ Data Access Unit seems to have a policy of indifference to FOI requests - where refusing is the option of first resort, and seeing what comes back for Internal Review before a correct answer is given.
This is NOT funny.
It is NOT a joke.
It is a waste of valuable finite public resources - refusing to provide all the information you hold in scope, or advice where that is not possible, is a breach of your duty under the FOIA and ICO Guidelines.
Now you know what information I am asking for, in respect of HMP Wandsworth, please provide it - what system determines whether the heating system at that prison is on or off and what is the authority for that?
Yours faithfully,
Mark Leech
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Good afternoon
Please find attached our response to your recent request for an Internal
Review of an earlier Freedom of Information request.
Regards
Mrs Brady
HM Prison and Probation Service Briefing &
Correspondence Team
[1]h[2][email address]
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ADDRESS
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otherwise specified
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