Training Courses

The request was successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I was wondering if you could provide me with a full list of training courses that Metropolitan Police provide for its police officers and civillian police support staff; the length of time each course is; the maximum number of students per class; the frequently of which courses commences; and if courses are available for certain police ranks or just for police officers only. To assist in your further eg Advanced Driving Course is available to police support staff and police officers up and including Inspector rank, their is a maximum of 12 students per class, the length of course is 5 days long and their is 2 courses commencing each calender month etc etc

Yours faithfully,
Sarah Wilson

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Ms Wilson

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2015040000687

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 09/04/2015.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

* I was wondering if you could provide me with a full list of training
courses that  Metropolitan Police provide for its police officers and
civillian police support staff; the length of time each course is; the
maximum number of students per class; the frequently of which courses
commences; and if courses are available for certain police ranks or
just for police officers only.  To assist in your further eg Advanced
Driving Course is available to police support staff and police
officers up and including Inspector rank, their is a maximum of 12
students per class, the length of course is 5 days long and their is 2
courses commencing each calender month etc etc

Your request will now be allocated to the relevant unit within the MPS and
will be processed in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(the Act).  

You will receive your response directly from the relevant unit within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.  

In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to achieve this deadline.  If
this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the
earliest opportunity.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your right of
complaint.

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above.  Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details.

Yours sincerely

Peter Deja
Support Officer - Freedom of Information Triage Team

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, phone or
write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone:  01625 545 745

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Ms Wilson

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2015040000687

I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 09/04/2015.  I note
you seek access to the following information:

* I was wondering if you could provide me with a full list of training
courses that  Metropolitan Police provide for its police officers and
civilian police support staff;
* the length of time each course is;
* the maximum number of students per class;
* the frequently of which courses commences;
* and if courses are available for certain police ranks or just for
police officers only.  
* To assist in your further eg Advanced Driving Course is available to
police support staff and police officers up and including Inspector
rank, their is a maximum of 12 students per class, the length of
course is 5 days long and their is 2 courses commencing each calendar
month etc etc .

Decision
This letter is to inform you that it will not be possible to respond to
your request within the cost threshold by virtue of section 12 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA). In accordance with section 17(5)
FoIA, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice. Please see the legal annex for
the sections of the Act that are referred to in this letter.

Costs estimation
I hope the following explanation will clarify why it will not be possible
to respond to your request within the 18 hour cost threshold stipulated by
the FoIA. In order to assess whether the information that you have
requested was held and could be located, retrieved and extracted within
the cost limit, I have made some initial enquiries and would advise that
it would exceed 18 hours to locate and extract the information. This is
because the level of information required is not captured on a central
database and a member of staff would need to manually search through each
training course to determine parts of the above information (frequency,
availability to ranks/officers/staff).  I have located the master
prospectus along with the annual training plan and health and safety
training plan.  From these three alone there are over 550 courses that
would each need to be individually scrutinised in order to determine the
information requested above.  In addition to this there are also the
training courses provided by the College of Policing.

Whilst I am unable to give you an exact timeframe it is clear that this
would exceed 18 hours.

Section 16 - Advice and Assistance
Section 16 of the Act places a duty upon a public authority to provide
advice and assistance, so far as it would be reasonable to expect the
authority to do so.  I am able to offer you the master prospectus which
would also include the length of each course and the maximum number of
students.  However, please be aware that some of this information may be
subject to exemptions.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS
Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of
complaint.

Yours sincerely

Jennifer Powell
HR Freedom of Information Manager

Legal Annex
Section 17(5) of the Act provides:
(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information,
is relying on a claim that section 12 or 14 applies must, within the time
for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that
fact.

Section 12(1) of the Act provides:
(1) Section 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.

Section 16 of the Act provides:
(1) It shall be the duty of a public authority to provide advice and
assistance, so far as it would be reasonable to expect the authority to do
so, to persons who propose to make, or have made, requests for information
to it.
(2) Any public authority which, in relation to the provision of advice or
assistance in any case, conforms with the code of practice under section
45 is to be taken to comply with the duty imposed by subsection (1) in
relation to that case.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, phone or
write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone:  01625 545 745

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk
Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

Many thanks. Yes I would accept the master prospectus as suggested.

Yours faithfully,
Sarah Wilson

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

I am currently out of the office returning on June 2nd 2015. If you enquiry relates to a Freedom of Information Act request, please email/forward your query to the following email address:

[email address]

I will deal with all other enquiries upon my return.

Regards

Jen Powell
Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. To avoid incurring legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are monitored to the extent permitted by law.

Consequently, any email and/or attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements reached with other employees or agents. The security of this email and any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Find us at:
Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk
Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Ms. Wilson

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2015060000222

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 15/05/2015.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

"Many thanks.  Yes I would accept the master prospectus as suggested."

Your request will now be allocated to the relevant unit within the MPS and
will be processed in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(the Act).  

You will receive your response directly from the relevant unit within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.  

In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to achieve this deadline.  If
this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the
earliest opportunity.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your right of
complaint.

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above.  Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details.

Yours sincerely

R. Loizou
Support Officer - Freedom of Information Triage Team

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, phone or
write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone:  01625 545 745

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk
Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Wilson

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2015060000222

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 15/05/2015.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

·        Copy of the master training prospectus

Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within the MPS
to locate information relevant to your request.

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
within the MPS.

RESULT OF SEARCHES
The searches located records relevant to your request.

DECISION
I have today decided to:

* disclose the master training prospectus subject to the deletion of
information pursuant to the provisions of section 31(1) Law
Enforcement and section 43 (2) Commercial Interests of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act); and

REASONS FOR DECISION
In relation to the requirement, trainer days and cost the MPS consider
this to be exempt disclosure by virtue of Section 31 (1) (a) (b) & (c)
Law Enforcement and Section 43 (2) Commercial Interests, of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Evidence of Harm

Section 31
In considering whether or not this information should be disclosed, I
have considered the potential harm that could be caused by disclosure.
 To release full details of police training could ultimately reveal
police capabilities and possible tactics;  Disclosure could be used to
hinder police engaged in future operations and in turn could endanger
the safety of both the police officers and the public.

In addition to this releasing details of trainer days and requirement
could disclose the proposed uplift of skills within the MPS and
therefore capability levels which could place the MPS at risk in
policing specific areas such  as firearms, public order and counter
terrorist activities.  

Section 43
S43 is a qualified and class-based exemption. As a class-based
exemption, legislators have already accepted the harm in the release
of this class of information. As such, there is no requirement for me
to evidence the harm in disclosing this information.

Public Interest Test

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure

Use of public funds
Where public funds are being spent, there is public interest in
accountability and justification. One of the underlying principles of
the Act is the need to be open and transparent. In this case, there is
public interest in establishing that the Constabulary has negotiated a
competitive rate for the provision of health
and safety training for its officers and staff.

Openness and Accountability
The information could relate directly to the efficiency and
effectiveness of the force and its officers, showing the public either
positively or negatively that operational training is being
continually carried out.

Public interest considerations favouring non-disclosure

Third Parties
The Police Service has a moral duty to protect the sensitive
commercial information it holds about any private company they have
dealings with. In this case, to provide the cost of how much the
Constabulary pays for the provision of training would prejudice the
commercial interests of the Constabulary and the other forces and
agencies who pay  for the provision of training.

Public Safety
Disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice our ability
to prevent and detect crime, and could be used to manipulate
weaknesses which we are in the process of strengthening.  This can not
be seen to be in the interest of the public - who would want to know
we were protecting all information as highly as possible.

Balancing Test
In this instance, the strongest factor favouring disclosure is the
openness and accountability argument. However, the strongest factor
favouring non-disclosure is the fact that disclosure would prejudice
our ability to protect sensitive and confidential information and thus
hinder our law enforcement ability.

The public interest is not what interests the public, but what will be
of greater good if released to the community as a whole.  Here it is
argued that is not in the public interest to disclose information that
may compromise the service's ability to fulfil its core function of
law enforcement or may jeopardize the protection of sensitive
information.  The MPS, therefore, believes the balance falls firmly in
favour of non-disclosure at this time.

Please find attached the training manual.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS
If you are dissatisfied with this response please read the attached
paper entitled Complaint Rights which explains how to make a
complaint.  

Yours sincerely

Jennifer Powell
People Services Freedom of Information Manager

Legal Annex

Section 17 of the Act provides:
(1)        A public authority which, in relation to any request for
information, is to any extent relying on a claim that any provision in
part II relating to the duty to confirm or deny is relevant to the
request or on a claim that information is exempt information must,
within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a
notice which-

(a) states the fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question, and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption
applies.

Section 31 - Law Enforcement
Section 31(a) and (b) are applicable to the information requested as
it may relate to future criminal proceedings.  Therefore, the
disclosure could impair the prevention and detection of crime and/or
the apprehension and prosecution of offenders.

Section 31(1)(g) is also applicable to the information you have
requested as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the exercise
by a public authority of its function to ascertain whether a person:
"        has failed to comply with the law (section 31(2)(a)),
"        is responsible for any conduct which is improper (section
31(2)(b))
"        the purpose of ascertaining a person's fitness or competence
in relation to their role (section 31(2)(d))

S43 Commercial Interests
Under s43(2), information is exempt if its disclosure would, or would
be likely to,  prejudice commercial interests of any person (including
the public authority holding it).

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information,
the Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of
the enclosed information will continue to be protected by law.
 Applications for the copyright owner's written permission to
reproduce any part of the attached information should be addressed to
MPS Directorate of Legal Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New
Scotland Yard, Victoria, London, SW1H 0BG.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think
the decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision
of the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act)
regarding access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS
to have the decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days
from the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied
with the decision you may make application to the Information
Commissioner for a decision on whether the request for information has
been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information
Commissioner please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.
 Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone:  01625 545 745

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk
Twitter: @metpoliceuk