Information on Learning and Development department and recruit training
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.028468
I note you seek access to the following information:
1) What budget has been allocated to your learning and development team for the past five years (the current year and the previous four years).
2) I would like to request the name, email address and telephone number of the point of contact for your learning and development department, at superintendent rank and at civilian equivalent.
3) What is the number of total new recruits that have been ‘back-coursed’ for any reason during their initial recruit training, on a year on year from 2017 to the date of this FOI request.
In reference to question 3, could the above number be provided specifically for these categories:
A) Failure in understanding procedures or difficulties in learning specific topics (please provide which ones).
B) Final exam failure
C) Knowledge check or periodic exam failure
4) Can you confirm if you currently use interactive digital learning platforms or virtual reality training and if so who is the provider and what is the content it covers and the cost of it.
5) Can you provide what your targets are in reference to how many new recruits are to be trained between the date of this request and 2026.
6) Can you provide the total number of new recruits between 1st January 2017 and the date of this request.
7) Can you provide the average size of student officer intakes.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemptions:
Section 31(1) (a)(b) - Law Enforcement
Section 40(2)(3) - Personal Information
Section 43(2) – Commercial Interests
Reason for decision
Q4 - Can you confirm if you currently use interactive digital learning platforms or virtual reality training and if so who is the provider and what is the content it covers and the cost of it.
The MPS refuses access to the cost of interactive digital learning platforms under the following exemption, as costs are commercially sensitive and would be used by competitors to price future procurements.
Section 43 (2) - Commercial Interests - Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).
Information should be disclosed when it directly relates to the efficiency and effectiveness of the MPS and its officers. The purpose of the Act is to make public authorities more accountable and this factor may therefore, be applied to the MPS's openness in this case.
Disclosure could provide the public with an insight into the funding and management of contracts.
By disclosing the information requested would damage ongoing tenure processes and undermine business relationships. To disclose the requested information namely interactive digital learning platforms such as Learning Management System (LMS) which is provided by Cornerstone and the Hydra facility would be contractually sensitive. By placing this information in the public domain would give an unfair advantage to other service providers and may lead to the MPS not gaining best value from service providers. The supplier of the service contract would not be under the expectation that this information would be placed into the public domain.
Having considered your request, I can see no public interest in disclosing the requested information. On balance and having reviewed the requested information, I have found that the public interest lies in favour of protecting the commercial interests of those who provide products and services to the MPS for Learning and development services, in relation to the cost question in latter part of question 4.
Regarding any information in relation to question 2, the MPS has applied the following exemptions.
Q2 - I would like to request the name, email address and telephone number of the point of contact for your learning and development department, at superintendent rank and at civilian equivalent.
Section 31 (1) (a)(b) - Law Enforcement - In order for the exemption provided under Section 31(1) to be engaged in this case, the MPS must show that disclosure under the Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice law enforcement functions, namely Section 31(1)(a) the prevention and detection of crime and Section 31(1)(b) the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.
In this case, this exemption has been applied as disclosure of the information requested would prejudice areas within law enforcement such as the detection of crime and the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.
Release would have the effect of compromising law enforcement processes and would also hinder the ability of the MPS to fulfil its primary aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public.
Disclosure would technically be releasing sensitive operational information into the public domain which would enable those with the time, capacity and inclination to try and map strategies and tactics used by the MPS and possibly counter them, or become an intrusive hindrance to anyone involved in those departments, which in turn would waste Police time. This cost time in resources would have adverse effect on law enforcement.
The disclosure of this information to the public by the MPS would undermine public trust in the MPS. Release of all information would allow those wishing to disrupt police operations to use the information to assist in evading detection should they be
planning any unlawful acts.
Section 40(2)(3)&(4) – Personal Information - Before I explain the reasons for the decisions I have made in relation to your request, I thought that it would be helpful if I outline the parameters set out by the Act within which a request for information can be answered. The Act creates a statutory right of access to information held by public authorities. A public authority in receipt of a request must, if permitted, confirm if the requested information is held by that public authority and, if so, then communicate that information to the applicant.
The right of access to information is not without exception and is subject to a number of exemptions which are designed to enable public authorities to withhold information that is not suitable for release. Importantly, the Act is designed to place information into the public domain, that is, once access to information is granted to one person under the Act, it is then considered public information and must be communicated to any individual should a request be received.
Details of an investigation could cause an individual to be identified and is therefore exempted in this case.
Section 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018 confirms that information which relates to an identified or identifiable living individual is Personal Data.
The Freedom of Information Act provides an exemption for Personal Data and this is known as the section 40 exemption.
Some of the information sought under your Freedom of Information request includes the following which we consider to be Personal Data
• Names, telephone numbers and email addresses, that could, if disclosed, identify an individual.
Where the request is seeking access to third party personal data the section 40(2) exemption may be engaged.
In order to apply the Section 40(2) exemption the disclosure of the requested information must satisfy either the first, second or third conditions as defined by subsections 3A, 3B and 4A of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (as amended by Section 58 of the Data Protection Act 2018).
The first condition ensures that the exemption would apply in circumstances where the disclosure of the information would breach any of the Data Protection Act 2018 principles.
There are six Data Protection principles set out in the 2018 act and these can be found at section 34.
In this instance I have decided that the disclosure of the Personal Data would be incompatible with the first Data Protection principle which states that the processing (in this case the disclosure) of the data must be both lawful and fair.
Disclosure
Q1 - What budget has been allocated to your learning and development team for the past five years (the current year and the previous four years).
| Learning & Development Budgets | |
| 2022/23 | £54,827,293 |
| 2021/22 | £44,899,496 |
| 2020/21 | £30,022,730 |
| 2019/20 | £24,467,765 |
| 2018/19 | £23,585,872 |
Q3 - What is the number of total new recruits that have been ‘back-coursed’ for any reason during their initial recruit training, on a year on year from 2017 to the date of this FOI request.
In reference to question 3, could the above number be provided specifically for these categories:
A) Failure in understanding procedures or difficulties in learning specific topics (please provide which ones).
B) Final exam failure
C) Knowledge check or periodic exam failure
Q3 – numbers of re course students – these are a mix of welfare, discipline and knowledge
| 2017 | 79 |
| 2018 | 77 |
| 2019 | 133 |
| 2020 | 205 |
| 2021 | 73 |
| 2022 | 235 |
| 2023 | 108 |
Q4 - Can you confirm if you currently use interactive digital learning platforms or virtual reality training and if so who is the provider and what is the content it covers and the cost of it. (Section 43 Commercial Interests, see Reason for decision)
The direct L&D have input in the Learning Management System (LMS) which is provided by Cornerstone – this has a variety of learning resources created by ourselves, other areas of the MPS and outside companies. Content is either directly commissioned to meet learning for a diverse number of areas within the MPS as well as generic learning that is available to all officers.
Other immersive learning includes the Hydra facility – this is licensed from an external company and content is designed by the facility.
Regarding Virtual reality – we are not obliged under FOIA to disclose things that are in development, However Content Design Team CDT can confirm that the MPS is exploring the use of Virtual Reality in Training.
Q5 - Can you provide what your targets are in reference to how many new recruits are to be trained between the date of this request and 2026.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide a response to question 5. The Workforce Plan for 2023/24 has not been impact assessed or commercially agreed yet. The MPS response is No Information Located.
Q6 - Can you provide the total number of new recruits between 1st January 2017 and the date of this request.
So the total number of PC and DC recruits between 1 Jan 2017 to now is 14,737.This also includes Police Now.
Q7 - Can you provide the average size of student officer intakes.
The average intake since Jan’21 to Mar’23 is 248 officers across Uniform & Direct Entry Detectives. This is the only timeframe for which the MPS have data.