MPS’s handling of FOI and SAR requests and complaints

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.027671

I note you seek access to the following information:

Please can you provide the information below regarding the Mets handling of FOI and SAR requests and complaints

How many FOI requests are received per annum?
How many SAR requests are received per annum?
How many Complaints are received per annum?

How many staff are employed to handle FOI requests?
How many staff are employed to handle SAR requests?
How many staff are employed to handle complaints?

Is a case management system or other specialist system used to handle FOI requests?
If so which system? When was that implemented? What is the annual cost? When is that system due for renewal?

Is a case management system or other specialist system used to handle SAR requests?
If so which system? When was that implemented? What is the annual cost? When is that system due for renewal?

Is a case management system or other specialist system used to handle complaints?
If so which system? When was that implemented? What is the annual cost? When is that system due for renewal?

Clarification:
Thank you for your message, in answer to your question the last full year you have records for will be perfectly sufficient'

Clarification:
Thank you for your response (and apologies for the delay in coming back to you).

I am interested in the demands placed on the met by the correspondence it receives. So in terms of the definition of complaint I predominantly mean complaints received by members of the public (although if you have data on other types of complaints received this would be helpful).

Regarding handling I would mean staff whose role is dedicated to the logging and/or processing of complaints if this is possible.

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:

Sec 21 – Reasonably Accessible via other means
Sec 43 – Commercial Interest

Reason for decision

Section 43(2) Commercial Interest - provides that any information is exempt if its disclosure under the Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any persons (A 'person' may be an individual, a company, public authority itself or any other legal entity)

I am exempting the release of some of the information requested under Section 43(2) in that the release of the requested information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the MPS and the companies concerned.

I have considered the potential harm that could be caused by disclosure.
In this case if the MPS were to release the information you have requested pertaining to the annual cost of the services this could result in the MPS attracting less favourable contracts with companies in the future, if they believes such details would be made public. Furthermore it may impact on the commercial interests of the contract company as they may be expected to provide the same product/s at similar costs to other companies.

Information about our purchases would be revealed and in so doing our commercial interests would be prejudiced it would adversely affect our ability to secure contracts with companies in a competitive environment.

The nature of the tendering process is intended to allow for potential contractors to submit bids in a competitive environment. Disclosure of the requested information would prejudice the commercial interests of the MPS because the disclosure of the information would set a 'benchmark' which potential providers could use to compare their proposed products and costs. This would therefore have a negative impact on the competitive nature of the tendering process.

There is a public interest in ensuring that companies are able to compete fairly. Disclosing the information could provide competitors with an unfair advantage.

Full disclosure would weaken the position of the MPS in a competitive environment by revealing market-sensitive information. This would have a harmful effect on future partnerships when entering into commercial activities.

I have found that it is important that the MPS protects its commercial interests. I have found that the public interest lies in favour of preserving the commercial interests of the MPS by partially withholding the requested information and partially withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Section 21 - Information which is reasonably accessible to the applicant.

The information requested at questions one, two and three has been identified as being accessible via other means as it is already published. Where information is already in the public domain we are not required to re-publish the data; instead public authorities are required to direct you to the information, which we have done in this instance. This action is in accordance with section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act.

In regards to Question 7(c) concerning the annual cost of the services - this information has been reviewed and has been deemed commercially sensitive information and therefore exempted under Section 43(2).

In regards to Questions 1, 2 and 3 - I am pleased to advise that this information is already published and is readily accessible by way of the links provided below.

With reference to your request, I have numbered each question for ease of reference as follows:

Please can you provide the information below regarding the Mets handling of FOI and SAR requests and complaints:

Questions:
Q1 - How many FOI requests are received per annum?
Q2 - How many SAR requests are received per annum?
Q3 - How many Complaints are received per annum?

Response to Questions 1, 2 and 3:
FOI (Freedom of Information):
Stats and Data - FOI requests dashboard

ROA: (Right of Access, formerly Subject Access):
https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/right-of-access-performance-dashboard/

*Please note that the links above also provide the number of complaints, Appeals and Tribunals.

Please also see the below links which you may find helpful:

MPS freedom of information requests dashboard data - London Datastore
MPA right of access performance dashboard data - London Datastore

Disclosure

Q4 - How many staff are employed to handle FOI requests?
Q5 - How many staff are employed to handle SAR requests?

For the number of staff who deal with FOI and ROA requests, please see the attached Information Rights Unit (IRU) Organisational chart.

Advice and assistance

To provide you with some additional assistance, I can advise that we also have a Data Office Triage Team (DOTT) within the IRU. The team undertake a number of functions within the IRU, including, logging new requests for information and any subsequent complaints, Appeals and Tribunals. The team also respond to some initial requests, for example, where the requested information is already published. Please see the attached IRU Organisational chart for the number of staff within this team.

Q6 - How many staff are employed to handle complaints?

At this time we have a member of staff who deals with requests for FOI Internal Reviews. At times of high demand, the assistance of other Information Managers can be called upon. The three Senior Information Managers are available to deal with any subsequent FOIA Appeals or First Tier Tribunals.

In respect of complaints concerning Right of Access (ROA) requests, these are allocated to either of the DPA Managers or Senior DPA Managers, depending upon the nature of the complaint.

Q7 - Is a case management system or other specialist system used to handle FOI requests?
a) If so which system?
b) When was that implemented?
c) What is the annual cost?
d) When is that system due for renewal?

Q8 - Is a case management system or other specialist system used to handle SAR requests?
a) If so which system?
b) When was that implemented?
c) What is the annual cost?
d) When is that system due for renewal?

Questions:
Q9. Is a case management system or other specialist system used to handle complaints?
a) If so which system?
b) When was that implemented?
c) What is the annual cost?
d) When is that system due for renewal?

(a) The MPS uses CycFreedom, which is a case management system to handle all FOI and ROA requests. Additionally, all complaints, Appeals and First Tier Tribunals, which arise from FOI and ROA requests, are also handled on the same system.

(b) CycFreedom was implemented in November 2018

(d) Please see the below details in answer to this question:

• Renewal of CycFreedom Disclosure Management Solution
Contract Type - Contract Services
Contract end - 31/05/2024

• Added functionality to CycFreedom (owned by GSA)
Contract Type - Contract Services
Contract end - 05/07/2023