Novichok Risk Assessments

The request was refused by Wiltshire Constabulary.

Dear Wiltshire Constabulary,

I write in reference to the recent events in Salisbury.

Please could you release all health and safety documentation around the alleged Novichok attacks. This is to include, but not limited to the risk assessments for Police Officers wearing regular uniform rather than haz mat suits whilst stood next to tented off and supposedly dangerous areas.

Amongst other things, I wish to ascertain why these officers were placed in a potentially life threatening position such as this. I know this is a delicate matter so I appreciate you will redact names, but if the meat of the documentation could be released, I would appreciate that.

Yours faithfully,

George Robinson

Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

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Please see the attached acknowledgement. Please be aware that whilst we are conscious that we have to respond within 20 working days we are currently dealing with a large amount of FOI requests.  We are doing all that we can to address the backlog and will respond to you as soon as we can. 

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Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

1 Attachment

Please see the attached acknowledgement. Please be aware that whilst we are conscious that we have to respond within 20 working days we are currently dealing with a large amount of FOI requests.  We are doing all that we can to address the backlog and will respond to you as soon as we can. 

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Dear Wiltshire Constabulary,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Wiltshire Constabulary's handling of my FOI request 'Novichok Risk Assessments'.

Please could I have a response to this request? I do appreciate you may be busy, but at the same time this is very important information in the light of an alleged continuing decontamination involving DEFRA of all people. I'm somewhat confused as to why the whole of Salisbury hasn't been evacuated if something so supposedly serious has been placed in the area?

Maybe your risks assessments can shed some light?

I do hope you don't feel the above is a criticism of your FOI department, there are just those of us very perplexed by this entire incident.

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

Yours faithfully,

George Robinson

Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

Good Afternoon,

This request is yet to be allocated to a Decision Maker to answer, therefore as it has not been looked at please confirm what it is you would like to be reviewed. If it is lateness then we are currently working through the backlog and have plans in place to tackle this.

Kind Regards,

Maisie McCann 8274
Force Disclosure Administrator/ Decision Maker
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police
Police Headquarters, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN
Telephone: 101 Extension: 62005
[email address]
Web: www.wiltshire.police.uk

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Dear Force Disclosure Unit,

Thank you for your reply Maisie. Basically I asked for a review as I have had no answer.

I am somewhat concerned by what various agencies, such as Public Health England and the Police, think suitable safety measures around a supposed military grade nerve agent. We have the Chief Medical Officer advising to use baby wipes to clean Novichok off objects, a suggestion so absurd that it beggars belief. That would be an act of suicide.

I am concerned that if your colleagues actually did come in to contact with a nerve agent and followed such erroneous advice, they would die. Hence me wanting an answer to this question.

I appreciate that you are busy and I know that sometimes deadlines aren't possible to meet, but if you could answer me in the near future I would be grateful.

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

Many thanks for your email. I have saved this to the folder. Once a Decision Maker is allocated, they will be in touch.

Kind Regards,

Maisie McCann 8274
Force Disclosure Administrator/ Decision Maker
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police
Police Headquarters, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN
Telephone: 101 Extension: 62005
[email address]
Web: www.wiltshire.police.uk

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Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

 

 

The Force Disclosure Unit have been experiencing a considerably high
volume of FOI requests over the last two months. In order for us to
effectively deal with these requests, and manage your expectations
accordingly, please confirm that you still require a response to your FOI
request.  If we do not hear from you within 14 days of receipt of this
email, we will close your FOI request.

 

Kind Regards

 

The Force Disclosure Unit

Wiltshire Police’

 

 

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George Robinson

Dear Wiltshire Constabulary,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Wiltshire Constabulary's handling of my FOI request 'Novichok Risk Assessments'.

I'd like to politely request a review of this. You seem to have not even assigned anyone to look at this and now say you will close it if I don't get back to you. If you are unable to meet your targets, your managers need to hire more staff, not close requests without answering them.

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

Yours faithfully,

George Robinson

George Robinson

Dear Force Disclosure Unit,

Please could I have an update on my request about Novichok Risk Assessments? It has been over 2 months now.

I know you say you are busy, but if you are so busy, your management from above need to help you and provide you with adequate resources as it's not fair on you to overwork you.

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

I apologise for the delay in getting this information to you. Whilst we are conscious that we have to respond within 20 working days we are currently dealing with a large amount of FOI requests, so much so that your request has yet to be passed to a Decision Maker.  We are doing all that we can to address the backlog and will respond to you as soon as we can. 

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Saifur Rahman left an annotation ()

This is clearly a breach of the freedom of information act. This request is grossly overdue, and the internal review is also overdue. Report this to the ICO.

George Robinson

Dear Force Disclosure Unit,

I hope you are well.

I'm sorry to have to write this and I am not writing this with any malice, but this request is massively overdue. I have asked for an internal review in to the lack of an answer, but just get told you are busy. Obviously I appreciate the way the Police are being deliberately undermined by rogue treacherous elements to pave the way for full privatisation isn't going to help and I also appreciate that in some cases the FOI time limits are grossly unfair on you and patently unrealistic and absurd.

In this case however all that needs doing is someone in your department to contact Health and Safety, get the risk assessments, redact names etc and release them. To get to the point, I would like the information within the next week or substancial and visible progress on the matter. If not I will be contacting the Information Commissioner's Officer.

I don't really want to do that as it is going to create needless nuisance for you, but if you aren't being equipped to discharge your workload then maybe in the long run it will help.

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

McCann, Maisie, Wiltshire Constabulary

Good Morning Mr Robinson,

I can advise you that your Freedom of Information request has been allocated to Decision Maker, Lloyd Tilbury.

Kind Regards,

Maisie McCann 8274
Force Disclosure Administrator
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police
Police Headquarters, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN
Telephone: 101 Extension: 62005
[email address]
Web: www.wiltshire.police.uk

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George Robinson

Dear McCann, Maisie,

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

George Robinson

Dear McCann, Maisie,

I have still not received a response to this.

Am I to take it this cannot be answered as there was no Novichok attack? Maybe you are just busy, but please can I have an answer?

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

Saifur Rahman left an annotation ()

Have you reported this to the ICO? What have they said?

George Robinson left an annotation ()

Hello Saifur

Not yet, but planning to do so this week, pity there isn't a referral button on here.

Regards

George Robinson

Dear McCann, Maisie,

There is still no answer to this query

Today I have seen a picture of police searching for Novichok wearing gloves, but with bare arms and faces. This stuff kills with a touch.

I can see only 2 possibilities:

1. Your Health and Safety team are guilty of gross negligence.

2. There never was a Novichok attack and perhaps these cases were caused by dodgy heroine.

Wiltshire Police are now in an untenable position. You must release what data you have. It is in the national interest.

Thank you again for the time you have spent on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

Tilbury, Lloyd, Wiltshire Constabulary

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Hello George,

Apologies for the delay in responding to your Freedom of Information request. Please find attached the response for FOI 2018/242.

Kind Regards,

Lloyd Tilbury 7970
Senior Force Disclosure Decision Maker
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police
Police Headquarters, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN
Telephone: 101 Extension: 37970
[email address]
Web: www.wiltshire.police.uk

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George Robinson

Dear Wiltshire Constabulary,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Wiltshire Constabulary's handling of my FOI request 'Novichok Risk Assessments'.

Thank you for your reply, however, with respect the answer isn't really relevant. It would not prejudice an enquiry or jepodise national security to explain why we have our constables conducting Novichok investigations with bare arms and faces. The images of this are out there. Military grade nerve agents kill with a touch.

Your colleagues could die if this touched their arm.

If you won't answer just say you don't want to answer plainly. I personally do not believe there has been any Novichok attack, but if there has been, your colleagues are in deadly danger, but then again so would the public be. We'd have people dropping dead left, right and centre, which is why this story is so patently absurd as this isn't happening.

I respect the hard jobs the Police do and you are an important part of our society, but please, this story is an insult to the intelligence of everyone in this country.

Please be assured I am asking this out of care and not to undermine the Police, it would show great integrity to answer this.

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

Yours faithfully,

George Robinson

Force Disclosure Unit, Wiltshire Constabulary

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Kind Regards,

Maisie McCann 8274
Force Disclosure Administrator
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police
Police Headquarters, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN
Telephone: 101 Extension: 62005
[email address]
Web: www.wiltshire.police.uk

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Dear Force Disclosure Unit,

Please can I have a response from your internal review?

Thank you for your time on this matter.

I will be referring this to the ICO in the next few days if I don't receive a proper answer.

Thank you again.

Yours sincerely,

George Robinson

Rumley, Millie, Wiltshire Constabulary

Dear George,

I apologise for the delay in responding to your request for an internal review. This request has now been passed to myself and I hope to get a response to you within the next few days.

In the meanwhile please contact me with any questions you have regarding this request.

Best regards,

Millie Rumley
Force Disclosure Decision Maker
Wiltshire Police
Tel 101 ext 37786

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Rumley, Millie, Wiltshire Constabulary

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Dear George,

Again I apologise for the delay in responding to your request. Please now find attached our response to your request for internal review.

Best regards,

Millie Rumley
Force Disclosure Decision Maker
Wiltshire Police
Tel 101 ext 37786

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