Funding on the Madeleine McCann case
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.029710
I note you seek access to the following information:
1. Can you advise, exactly how much funding (£) has been spent on the missing child Madeleine investigation since her disappearance.
2. Can you advise how many officer hours have been spent on this investigation since her disappearance (Metpol) only and that cost.
3. Can you advise how many officers continue to be employed in the current investigation?
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Q1 - Can you advise, exactly how much funding (£) has been spent on the missing child Madeleine investigation since her disappearance.
Expenditure as at 30th September 2022 was £12,944,155. The final figure for the current financial year is not yet available. This is because a period of time needs to elapse following the end of the financial year in order to enable any invoices or receipts to be submitted and entered onto our systems.
Please note that this figure relates to costs incurred by the MPS only in relation to Operation Grange. It does not include costs incurred by other investigators domestically and internationally, or private investigators who have been commissioned by several non-police bodies.
Q2 - Can you advise how many officer hours have been spent on this investigation since her disappearance (Metpol) only and that cost.
The MPS does not routinely compile the amount of officer hours spent on individual operations. Consequently, as the Freedom of Information Act makes no requirement for public authorities to create new information in order to respond to requests, this information is not held for the purposes of the Act. The right of access extends to recorded information only.
Q3 - Can you advise how many officers continue to be employed in the current investigation?
At this stage there are 5 members of the MPS working on this case. 1 Senior Investigating Officer (0.4), 1 Consultant (0.2) and 2 Detective Constables (both working 0.4 each). One officer works as a Family Liaison Officer as and when required. Therefore the actual total staff count is equivalent to 1.4 full time members of staff.