Operation Herne - amount spent in relation to the Undercover Policing Inquiry
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.037088
I note you seek access to the following information:
- The amount of money spent by the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to the Undercover Policing Inquiry in its aspect as a core participant, were possible broke down by year for the period 2018 to 2023.
- Whether Operation Herne is still running. If it ais not, please provide the date on which it was closed, or which subsequent operation or unit it was merged into.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full. Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
The MPS does not hold the total amount it has spent in connection with its role as an Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) core participant from the 1 January 2018 to the 31 December 2023. This information cannot be provided to you as it is not held by the MPS. The MPS does hold some costs in respect of its UCPI core participant role. I have disclosed this information to you alongside the answer to part 2 of your request, below.
Q1 - The amount of money spent by the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to the Undercover Policing Inquiry in its aspect as a core participant, were possible broke down by year for the period 2018 to 2023.
The Inquiry Review and Support Command (IRSC) of the MPS manages the Met’s response to the UCPI. The IRSC has collated costs in respect of its work in connection with the UCPI. These costs have been provided below.
Table 1: IRSC Costs broken down by Financial Year
| Financial Year | Costs |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | £5,015,042 |
| 2018-19 | £5,088,100 |
| 2019-20 | £6,208,756 |
| 2020-21 | £6,583,728 |
| 2021-22 | £6,987,039 |
| 2022-23 | £7,633,333 |
| 2023-24 | £7,598,208 |
| Total cost | £45,114,206 |
The IRSC figures are comprised of police officer costs, police staff costs, information communication technology costs and the cost of other supplies and services.
The Met’s Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) provide legal services to the whole of the MPS. The DLS has collated costs in respect of its work in connection with the UCPI. These costs have been provided below.
Table 2: DLS Costs broken down by Calendar Year
| Calendar Year | Costs |
|---|---|
| 2018 | £2,304,227.70 |
| 2019 | £2,267,569.76 |
| 2020 | £2,919,371.57 |
| 2021 | £2,775,019.62 |
| 2022 | £3,054,960.18 |
| 2023 | £3,556,394.08 |
| Total cost: | £16,877,543 |
The DLS figures do not include any internal staff costs.
It is important to note that the costs provided in tables 1 and 2 above, reflect the costs that have been recorded by the IRSC and the DLS. The DLS costs do not include any internal staff costs. More broadly, the costs associated with other MPS employees that have been involved in the Met’s work as a core participant at the UCPI, have not been recorded by the MPS. The MPS cannot accordingly, provide this information in response to this request for information.
Q2 - Whether Operation Herne is still running. If it is not, please provide the date on which it was closed, or which subsequent operation or unit it was merged into.
Answer: Operation Herne was amalgamated into the IRSC. The IRSC continues to investigate allegations related to former Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) officers and former undercover officers (UCOs).