Dear [Name Removed]

Thank you for your email.

You currently have 3 outstanding Freedom of Information requests with Oxfordshire County Council, which are due out on the dates shown below. You should receive your information on or before these dates.

18516 FOI - send date 10 August
18537 FOI - send date 13 August and
18564 FOI - send date 19 August

Kind regards,
Renata Malinowski

Freedom of Information Support Officer
Email: [email address]

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Our reference: 18580 FOI

Dear [Name Removed]

Our sincere apologies for not logging your original request received on 26 June, in which you asked for the following information.

How many times has the Council used RIPA legislation to justify surveillance of Oxfordshire residents?
Of those that have been surveilled, how many were Muslims? How many were BAME? How many were White?

Your request is now being considered and you will receive the information requested as soon as possible, as set out by the Environmental Information Regulations 2004/Freedom of Information Act 2000, unless an exception applies.

If appropriate, the information requested can be made available in alternative formats, including other languages, Braille, large print, and audiocassette. If you require any of these formats then please let me know.

Please contact me if you have any have further enquiries about your request. I would be grateful if you could quote the reference number given at the top of this email.

Kind regards
Renata Malinowski

Freedom of Information Support Officer
Email: E&[email address] and [email address]

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Our reference: 18580 FOI

Dear [Name Removed] 

Thank you for your request of 26 June 2021 in which you asked for
information about RIPA legislation and once again apologise for not
responding earlier.

Please find the County Council’s response below in red:

How many times has the Council used RIPA legislation to justify
surveillance of Oxfordshire residents?

Since 1st April 2012 the council has authorised covert surveillance
(either directed surveillance or the use of a covert human intelligence
source as defined by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000)
under the RIP Act on 43 occasions. Information on the use of surveillance
prior to this date is no longer retained by the council.

Of those that have been surveilled, how many were Muslims? How many were
BAME? How many were White?

The council does not record information on the ethnicity or religious
orientation of the persons subject to surveillance by the council and
therefore we do not hold this information.

Internal review

If you are dissatisfied with the service or response to your request, you
can ask for an internal review as follows:

·                     Contact the Freedom of Information team in Law &
Governance: [1][Oxfordshire County Council request email]

·                     Write to the Freedom of Information team at the
FREEPOST address:

Freedom of Information Team

Oxfordshire County Council

FREEPOST (RTLL-ECKS-GLUA)

Oxford OX1 1YA

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have a
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

The Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire,

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: [2]www.ico.gov.uk

Please let me know if you have further enquiries. I would be grateful if
you could use the reference number given at the top of this email.

Yours sincerely,

Richard

Richard Webb

Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Community Safety:

Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council

This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [3]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [4]Privacy Notice.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Oxfordshire County Council request email]
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
3. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildisc...
4. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/a...

Our reference:  18621 FOI

Dear [Name Removed] 

Thank you for your correspondence received on 4 August 2021 in which you
requested the following information:

Can you confirm how many times the Council authorised covert surveillance
using RIPA in 2019, 2020, and 2021?

Can you also confirm why the Council decided it needed to use covert
surveillance on those occasions?

Lastly, can you confirm if the individuals or organisations that were
subjected to covert surveillance were found guilty of the offence they
were suspected of committing?

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested as soon as possible and in any event within the next 20 working
days in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, unless an
exception applies. This means that the council will respond to you by 2
September 2021 at the latest.

If appropriate, the information requested can be made available in
alternative formats, including other languages, Braille, large print, and
audiocassette. If you require any of these formats then please let me
know.

Please contact me if you have any have further enquiries about your
request.  I would be grateful if you could quote the reference number
given at the top of this email.

Yours sincerely,

FOI/EIR Co-ordinator

FOI/EIR Co-ordinator
Democratic Support Team
Law & Governance
E-Mail: [1][email address]

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This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [2]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [3]Privacy Notice.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildisc...
3. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/a...

Our reference: 18621 FOI

Dear [Name Removed] 

Thank you for your request of 4 August 2021 in which you asked for
information about covert surveillance using RIPA.

The County Council does hold this information, please see in red below for
our response:

Q) Can you confirm how many times the Council authorised covert
surveillance using RIPA in 2019, 2020, and 2021?

2019 -   9 times

2020 -   3 times

2021 - 11 times

Q) Can you also confirm why the Council decided it needed to use covert
surveillance on those occasions?

The council can only authorise the use of covert surveillance under RIPA
when it is necessary for the prevention or detection of crime. The general
nature of the investigations which led to these applications and
authorisations under RIPA were:-

• Illegal tobacco sales investigations = 14
• Age restricted sales test purchases = 5
• Home improvement fraud = 3
• Blue badge fraud = 1

Q) Lastly, can you confirm if the individuals or organisations that were
subjected to covert surveillance were found guilty of the offence they
were suspected of committing?

The council cannot provide all the information you have requested. Of the
authorisations stated above 2 of the illegal tobacco investigations have
resulted in convictions. In relation to one of the authorisations granted
in 2020 the surveillance operation was not carried out due to the COVID-19
situation at the time. In relation to most of the RIPA authorisations
included in the data above the relevant investigations have not yet
concluded.

Internal review

If you are dissatisfied with the service or response to your request, you
can ask for an internal review as follows:

·                     Contact the Freedom of Information team in Law &
Governance: [1][Oxfordshire County Council request email]

·                     Write to the Freedom of Information team at the
FREEPOST address:

Freedom of Information Team

Oxfordshire County Council

FREEPOST (RTLL-ECKS-GLUA)

Oxford OX1 1YA

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have a
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

The Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire,

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: [2]www.ico.gov.uk

Please let me know if you have further enquiries. I would be grateful if
you could use the reference number given at the top of this email.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Webb

Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Community Safety

Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council

This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [3]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [4]Privacy Notice.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Oxfordshire County Council request email]
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
3. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildisc...
4. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/a...