Information in regards to the team in FTE

 

I note you seek access to the following information:

 

Please can you provide:

1) the number of staff employed in the team in FTE for each of the past five years

2) the organisational chart for the team

3) the budget for the team for each of the past five years

4) the performance data for the team for each of the past five years

5) the terms of reference or equivalent document setting out the purpose of the team, its scope and limitations.

 

 

‘The specific reference to the Online Harms Referral Team comes from a previous FOI response from the Met’

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 22 – Information intended for future publication

 

 

Searches failed to locate information relevant to questions 2 and 3:

 

 

This information is not held, because there is no organisation chart for the OHRT (Online Harms Referral Team). The officers are under the supervision of Project Alpha line management.

 

 

This information is not held. The OHRT does not have a separate budget.  They are funded from the Project Alpha funding.

 

 

 

Section 22 – Information intended for future publication - The information requested within question 5 and partially within question 4, have been identified as being intended for future publication on the MPS Publication Scheme (within the Met website - www.met.police.uk).

 

Section 22 - Information intended for future publication - of the Act provides public authorities with an exclusion from the duty to disclose information under Section 1(1)(b) of the Act, when the information is held with a view to its publication by any person, at any future date (whether determined or not). To withhold information under this exemption, a public authority must establish that the 'public interest' lies in withholding the requested information.  

 

There is therefore no requirement to demonstrate what harm would result from disclosing the requested information. 

 

The MPS has a process for both identifying and publishing police information that is of public interest. This is an established process which is primarily designed to engage the general public in the work of the police service but importantly, also serves to reduce the financial and administrative cost of responding to requests for information under the Act. The MPS receives a considerable number of requests for information that is due to be published. It would be both administratively and financially prohibitive for the MPS to release information in response to individual requests when the information requested will be published in the near future. 

 

When a request for information is made to which an exemption under the Act applies, I must determine whether the exemption should be claimed and in the case of exemptions that are qualified, determine whether release is in the public interest. Having considered your request, I have chosen to claim Section 22 of the Act as the requested information will be published in due course. I also believe that it would be inefficient to duplicate the work that will be completed. For these reasons, I consider that release of the information sought under the Act, to be contrary to the public interest. I have accordingly refused the relevant questions within your request.

 

 

In relation to question 4, data for 2023/24 will be published following the conclusion of the current financial year.

 

 

In regards to question 5, the OHRT terms of reference are currently in draft format and under review.  They are intended for publication during Q1 of 2024/25.

 

There is a requirement to consider the public interest test. This is a qualified exemption and therefore public authorities must consider whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption is greater than the public interest in disclosing the requested information.

 

 

 

2019/20 - 1

2020/21 - 1

2021/22 - 1 and then 2 members of staff from Oct 2021.

2022/23 - 2

2023/24 - 2

 

 

Please see the spread sheet below, in regards 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23.

Volume of unique content referred to platforms and removed by financial year.
	2019/20		2020/21		2021/22		2022/23
	Referred	Removed	Referred	Removed	Referred	Removed	Referred	Removed
TOTAL	56	52	115	109	229	183	424	365