Police Service Agreements between the MPS, Heathrow and London City Airports

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.25.043273

I note you seek access to the following information:

Police Services Agreement between Heathrow Airport and MPS
AND
Requesting a current copy of the Police Service Agreement with Heathrow Airport Ltd and London City Airport.

Clarification -
The current Police Service Agreement for both Heathrow Airport Ltd and London City Airport

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 24(1) – National Security
Section 31(1)(a) – Law Enforcement
Section 43(2) – Commercial Interest

Reason for decision

To disclose the full terms of the Police Service Agreement (PSA) currently in force for Heathrow Airport and London City Airport, would identify costs and resources relating to the deployment of MPS police officers and staff, as well as details relating to accommodation and their fleet. Disclosure of this information, which is essential to safeguard national security at a major international transport hub, could be used to undermine the MPS’s operational capability.

Additionally, the Police Service Agreement contains information on Airside Insurance policy. To divulge the amounts the MPS could be liable in the event of a claim will be commercially sensitive, as third parties could inflate claims, which could result in increased costs and insurance premiums.

As a result of the rationale above Sections 24(1), 31(1)(a) and 43(2) of the Act are engaged.

A Freedom of Information Act request is not a private transaction. Both the request itself, and any information disclosed, are considered suitable for open publication.

This is because, under the Act, any information disclosed is released into the wider public domain, effectively to the world, not just to an individual. Whilst not questioning the motives of the applicant, providing the full terms and cost of policing the airport would reveal police officer/staff numbers and infer the level of capacity within that Command, which would infer capabilities and could allow those who seek to cause harm to members of the public to gain an understanding of the level of resources that are deployed at Heathrow and London City Airport. Similarly, to provide details of the fleet and accommodation in use by the MPS to carry out their policing duties, could be valuable intelligence to a terrorist as a potential target.

The prevention and detection of crime is the foundation upon which policing is built and the threat from terrorism remains a serious concern, highlighting the increasingly complex and unpredictable nature of global security. The UK faces an ongoing threat from violent terrorist and extremists. Since 2006, the UK Government has published the threat level, which is set out by the Security Service (MI5) based on the latest intelligence. With the current threat level to the UK given as ‘substantial’, the Home Office website explains that ‘this means that a terrorist attack is likely’.

In consideration of the ramifications of these threat levels, it would not be appropriate to disclose in full the Police Service Agreement the MPS has with both London Airports. This is due to the agreement containing details of the number of police officers/staff directly employed at the airports, as well as where they may be accommodated and the fleet in use. To disclose such information could compromise the current or future law enforcement role of the Aviation Policing Command.

Modern-day policing is intelligence led and information of this nature, needs to be treated with extreme sensitivity as it could have a detrimental effect on the operational effectiveness of the MPS. There are significant risks associated with the release of such information as this may provide those seeking to commit criminal acts with an advantage over the MPS and other forces, as the information can indeed be viewed as operational 'intelligence' and operationally sensitive. In additions, disclosure could have a negative effect on the Command and in deed the MPS ability to provide the necessary service required should the release of information be used and/or manipulated by those who are intent on carrying out criminal/terrorist activities. To disclose the requested information would therefore provide them with an opportunity of disrupting police activity.

This could be to the detriment of providing an efficient policing service and a failure in providing a duty of care to all members of the public and might require the MPS to actually have to increase the amount of officers available to them thus increasing the cost to the public purse.

In the current environment of an increased threat of terrorist activity, providing any details that could assist an extremist, terrorist faction or fixated individual who have the relevant time and know-how, would put people’s lives at risk.

The release of the bespoke figures set out for each contract that takes into account the MPS’s airside insurance policy is commercially sensitive and it could be misused. The disclosure of the figures could lead to third parties inflating their claims against either party of the PSA agreement. This would likely then have an adverse effect on the MPS when renegotiating future Airside insurance.

Section 24(1) – National Security - By supplying any policing arrangements of this nature would render security measures less effective. In order to safeguard national security, there is a need for the MPS to protect information held as to release it would likely have a detrimental effect on policing resources, particularly in the sensitive area of national security.

Policing resources would be negatively affected should those with intent to map and obtain an operational advantage over MPS resources (allocated for national security purposes) manipulate the disclosed information.

Section 31(1)(a) – Law Enforcement - The disclosure of the requested information which provides details of police officers/staff numbers, fleet and accommodation and costings could result in the current and future law enforcement role of Specialist Operations, which Aviation Policing Command is a part of, being severely compromised, which in turn would hinder the prevention and detection of crime.

To disclose staffing levels would allow one to infer the level of resources/capability within the Command. Should staffing figures be lower than envisaged, this could enable individuals to believe they have a higher chance of undertaking criminal/terrorist offences without being detected. In addition, disclosure of this information would infer the importance the MPS and the Government place on combating terrorism and extremism.

It must also be noted, a FOIA request is open to publication, disclosing this sensitive information would allow those with time and capacity, to try and map out costs and staffing levels available to the MPS to assist with their criminal/terrorist activity, which would ultimately lead to an attack.

Therefore, MPS resources and its ability to operate effectively and efficiently would directly be affected as this information, could be manipulated by those with criminal intent to operate in those areas.

Section 43(2) – Commercial Interest - Disclosure of the requested information would likely lead to third parties inflating their claims against the parties in the PSA Agreement. As a result of inflated insurance claims, insurers will have increased cost to cover which will then result in increased insurance premiums for the MPS. This would therefore weaken the position of the MPS in a competitive environment, due to a disclosure of the bespoke figures with levels set for each contract that takes into account our Airside Insurance Policy.

The security of the country is of paramount importance and the Police Service will not divulge information if to do so would place the safety of the public at risk, undermine National Security or law enforcement. Whilst there is a public interest in the transparency of policing, and in this case providing assurance that the police service is appropriately and effectively engaging with the threat posed by terrorist activity, there is a very strong public interest in safeguarding the integrity of police operations in the highly sensitive area of terrorism and extremism.

Any disclosure of information relating to the MPS’s capability in a specialist area would undermine our ability to combat terrorism, which are sensitive issu

Disclosure

Please find below redacted copies of the current Police Service Agreements the Metropolitan Police Service has with Heathrow Airport and London City Airport.