12th July Costs

Request Number: FOI/15207

Category: Policing Themes, Operations and Investigations Events and Public Order

Subject: 12th July Costs

Request and Answer: 
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken not to supply the information you have requested and the reasons for this are set out in more detail below. We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request.

Request
Under the freedom of information act can the PSNI please provide a breakdown of costs of policing the 11th / 12th July across Northern Ireland?

Answer
Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:

    a. states that fact,
    b. specifies the exemption in question and
    c. states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.

The exemption/s, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:

Section 22 – Information Intended for Future Publication

The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 it has been decided to refuse access to the information you have requested.  Under Section 22 (1) of the Act the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is not obliged to disclose information that is held with a view to its publication at some future date.

Section 22 is a qualified exemption so therefore the PSNI is obliged to carry out a Public Interest Test.

Public Interest Considerations – Section 22

Factors favouring disclosure
Disclosure would demonstrate PSNI’s openness and transparency.

Factors favouring non-disclosure
The spending of additional funds in order to facilitate this FOI request would not be in the public interest as this information is due to be released in the near future.

Decision
There needs to be a real and valid reason which identifies a tangible benefit to the public from disclosure of information. As the information is intended to be published at a future date, this year, it is reasonable to exempt it as publication is imminent.

PSNI will provide a Marching Season costing on an annual basis. This costing, to include details of costs over the 12th of July period as well as major parades, will be provided to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB) for public release in early October via ACC Local Policing office.