Thank you for your letter of 9 June to Sir David
Omand requesting a further explanation of why we had withheld
some information. Sir David has asked me to reply. I am grateful
to you for extending the deadline to today.
I attach a list giving the reasons why replies to
Parliamentary Questions put to the Home Office were 'blocked'
by the Table Office.
If you need any further information or clarification,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
| 3.12.98 | Security Service
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| 61649 | Policy not to confirm or deny whether the Security Service holds records on a particular person
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| Reason: | To give a full reply would impair the operational effectiveness of the Security Service in fulfilling its statutory functions under the Security Service Acts
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| Exemption: | Part, exemption 1 (bullet one)
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| 3.12.98 | Personal arrangements
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| 62119 | Personal security arrangements are an operational matter for Chief Officers of Police
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| Reason: | For security reasons, it has been the practice of successive governments not to provide information, including costs, about police operations relating to protection. There was a possible risk of compromising any existing and future police operations involving protection of an individual or individuals by giving out information of this sort.
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| Exemption: | Part II, Section 4
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| 1.2.99 | Transfer of Officers
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| 68052 | Transfer of officers between CID and uniform duties an operational matter for Chief Constable
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| Reason: | It is considered that the question was answered as fully as possible
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 9.2.99 | Costs in police operations, Reference General Pinochet
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| 70282 | Costs incurred in police operations relating to General Pinochet a matter for the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis and the Chief Constable of Surrey: see also 10.2 (70252)
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| Reason: | For security reasons, it has been the practice of successive governments not to provide information, including costs, about police operations relating to protection. There was a possible risk of compromising any existing and future police operations involving protection of an individual or individuals by giving out information of this sort.
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| Exemption: | Part II, Section 4
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| 22.2.99 | Speed Cameras
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| 71438 | Enforcement of road traffic law a matter for each chief police officer; they decide what technology to emply; and see 9.3 (73661, 73660); 23.3 (77306; 77290); 20.4 (81599) road traffic and public order legislation; 30.6m(88726)
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| Reason: | It is considered that all the available information at that time was given. Resource implications meant that collecting all the information would have required a substantial amount of work collecting and collating returns from 43 forces and it would probably have been out of date as soon as it was completed.
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| 73661 and 73660 refer to Questions on cameras answered by DETR which also used the phrase "information not available centrally"
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| 77306 and 77290 also asked about cameras and were answered by the HO using "information not available centrally"
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| The other PQs were of a rather different sort. 81599 was about the lorry protest which blocked roads and asked what advice we had obtained about the legality of the drivers' action. The Answer was None. It went onto explain that enforcement of the road traffic law is a matter for the police.
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| 23.3.99 | Suspension of Officers
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| 77266 | Suspension of Police Officers a matter for Chief Officer concerned; wrong for minister to comment while investigation under way
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| Reason: | It is considered that the question was answered as fully as possible
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 24.3.99 | Operational Deployment of Police
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| 77280 | Operational deployment of police officers a matter for the Chief Constable
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| Reason: | It is considered that the question was answered as fully as possible.
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 10.2.99 | Allocation of Resources
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| 70065 | For Chief Constable to determine the number in his force within available resources: and see 5.3 [74826]; 9.2 [69473] (maintaining reserves); 15.2 [71037]; 16.2 [71042],
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| Reason: | This is not "blocked" answer. The answer reflected the position. The Police Act 1996 provides for the Home Secretary to allocate funding and leaves it to the Chief Constable to determine how to use the funding once the budget has been set by the police authority. Home Secretary would not therefore look at individual police forces staffing levels.
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 11.6.99 | Witness Protection
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| 86194 | Number of officers engaged on witness protection in Eltham withheld in order to help maintain operational effectiveness
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| Reason: | Information whose disclosure could endanger the life or physical safety of any person, or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes.
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| Exemption: | Part II, Section 4
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| 20.1.99 | Home Affairs Council - Terrorist threats
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| 66143 | EU Terrorism Threat Assessment Document not to be released
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| Reason: | Information whose disclosure would harm national security or defence.
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption 1
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| 21.1.99 | Common Market Referendum - Release of Security Service Files
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| 66396 | For Director-General of Security Service to decide when to release files, following Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967.
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| Reason: | This is not a blocked question as it explains the mechanism whereby the information sought could eventually be made available to the House (and the public).
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 4.2.99 | Special Advisers
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| 69337 | Information on salaries and pay-bill costs of Special Advisers not provided in order to protect the privacy of the people concerned.
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| Reason: | Information on pay bill costs for individual Special Advisers is not provided in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.
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| Exemption: | Part II, paragraph 12
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| 4.2.99 | Departmental Legislation
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| 68420 | Convention that legislative proposals for each year are not announced before the Queen's Speech at the start of the relevant Session
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| Reason: | To comply with well established Parliamentary Convention.
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| Exemption: | Section 15 (b) of the Code of Practice - Statutory or other restrictions - Parliamentary Privilege
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| 11.2.99 | Police Authority - Members
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| 70052 | Not practice to publish the names of those put forward for independent membership of police authorities.
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| Reason: | Applications are made in confidence. Invasion of privacy to publish names of candidates who are or might be unsuccessful. Police authorities have statutory duty to publish names of those appointed.
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| Exemption: | Part II paragraphs 12 and 14
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| 15.2.99 | Legal Costs
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| 71427 | Funding of legal costs of police officers entirely a matter for police authorities.
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| Reason: | Information requested was not collected centrally. A matter for police authorities, which are independent corporate bodies.
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| Exemption: | Part I, paragraph 4.
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| 15.2.99 | Requests from other Governments - Louise Woodward
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| 70572 | Policy not to comment on fact or substance of requests from other Governments for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
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| Reason: | Reply based on a general refusal to answer questions concerning request for mutual assistance.
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| Exemption: | Section 4, categories a, b, and c of the Code and in some cases f. 4.1 may also apply.
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| 1.3.99 | Security Service
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| 73407 | Policy not to disclose information about Security Service operations
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| Reason: | To give a full reply would impair the Operational effectiveness of the Security Service in fulfilling its statutory functions Under the Security Service Acts.
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| Exemption: | Part, exemption 1 (bullet one).
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| 3.3.99 | Official Advice - Ref Stephen Lawrence
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| 74483 | Not practice to discuss advice to ministers from officials; and see 19.3 [76973]; 4.3 [73625].
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| Reason: | It is not the practise to discuss the advance given to ministers by officials.
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| Exemption: | Part II, Paragraph 2 of the Code of Practice.
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| 4.3.99 | Firearms Act 1968
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| 74251 | Records of companies and individuals authorised to purchase and prohibited weapons not available for reasons of security and commercial confidentiality.
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| Reason: | The reasons why records of companies and individuals authorised to possess etc prohibited weapons are withheld are twofold:
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| Section 4e of the Code of Practice exempts information whose disclosure would harm public safety…or would prejudice the security of any building. Clearly, to publish addresses where sometimes large numbers of prohibited weapons are kept would pose a significant danger to the public safety in that criminals and terrorist organisations would become aware of the precise location of the very weapons they are most likely to want to get their hands on. Moreover, for armouries in smaller businesses which sometimes double as private homes, their very anonymity provides extra security.
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| Section 13 of the Code exempts commercial confidences. In making decisions on applications for the Secretary of State's authority, we require evidence of trade including volume of trade, weapon types, tenders and contracts. Clearly it would be inappropriate to make information of this sort available to competitors. Moreover, some authority holders are engaged in research and development of new weapon systems and types, information on which is supplied to us in the strictest confidence.
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| Exemption: | Section 4e and 13 apply
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| 11.3.99 | Immigration Records - Ref Pascal Lissouba
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| 76140 | Not practice to disclose details of individuals' immigration records.
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| Reason: | Unwarranted disclosure of personal information would have constituted an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption 12
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| 19.3.99 | Prison Visitors
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| 76417 | Names of members of Boards of Visitors of Prisons not published for reasons of personal security.
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| Reason: | Unwarranted disclosure of personal information would have constituted an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption 12
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| 25.3.99 | Interception of Communications
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| 78524 | Not policy and inconsistent with Interception of Communications Act 1985 to confirm or deny that warrant for or interception of communications has taken place; this includes revealing figures for interceptions in particular parts of the country.
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| Reason: | To give a full reply would impair the operational effectiveness of the Security Service in fulfilling its statutory functions under the Security Service Acts, or
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| To give a full reply would impair the operational effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies in the prevention and detection of serious crime
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| In both cases, a full reply would be inconsistent with the Interception of Communications Act 1985
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption one (bullet one) or Part II, exemption 4
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| 29.6.99 | Interception of Communications
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| 88718/88721 | No details of reason for issuing interception warrants given further than published in the Annual Report of the Commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985
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| Reason: | To give full reply would impair the operational effectiveness of the Security Service in fulfilling its statutory functions under the Security Service Acts or
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| To give a full reply would impair the operational effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies in the prevention and defection of serious crime
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| A full reply would be inconsistent with the Interception of Communications Act 1985.
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption one (bullet one) or
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| Part II, exemption 4
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| 30.3.99 | Lancet Inquiry
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| 79094;79098;79212 | Operation Lancet Inquiry supervised by the Police Complaints Authority - for them to monitor progress; length of the investigation for them and the investigating officer, no comment on criminal or disciplinary investigations, esp. because Home Secretary is appellate authority.
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| Reason: | It is considered that no information was withheld in the answer. However, it was appropriate to comment on matters which may have been subject of criminal proceedings which may have prejudiced those proceedings.
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 13.4.99 | Redwood Inquiry
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| 79590 | No comment while inquiry continues; and see 20.4 [81165], 4.5 [82537]
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| Reason: | Information whose disclosure could prejudice investigation/detection of crime and apprehension/prosecution of offenders.
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| Exemption: | Section 4. Law Enforcement and legal proceedings
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| 20.4.99 | Sergeant Virdi
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| 80631 | No comment while inquiry continues
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| Reason: | The question was partly answered, however main body of questions were not answered. This was due to the fact that the Commissioner was at that time still considering charging Sgt Virdi with disciplinary offences and it was therefore inappropriate to comment.
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 18.5.99 | Cleveland Police
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| 84259 | Details of confidential matter discussed under s. 100 of the Local Government Act not disclosed
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| Reason: | It is considered inappropriate to comment on matters which may have been subject of criminal proceedings which may have prejudiced those proceedings
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| Exemption: | N/A
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| 30.6.99 | Subversion
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| 88224 | Not in public interest to add to information published in the 1998 booklet "M15 The Security Service".
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| Reason: | To give full reply would impair the operational effectiveness of the Security Service in fulfilling its statutory functions under the Security Service Acts.
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption one (bullet one)
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| 22.7.99 | S. 133 of Criminal Justice Act 1988
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| 91828 | Review of operation of the section internal and details withheld under exemption in Code of Practice on Government Information and Advice relating to internal discussion and advice.
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| Reason: | Information where disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion
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| Exemption: | Part II, exemption 2
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| 11.11.99 | Commission for Racial Equality
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| 98369 | Details of individual settlements relating to claims of racial discrimination by employees of the CRE confidential between the parties
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| Reason: | The question was answered in full. No information requested in the Question was withheld. But a statement was made that details of the settlement package are commercially confidential
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| Exemption: | Section 7 - Effective management and operations of the public service information whose disclosure would prejudice commercial or contractual activities. It is likely that the deal could not have been negotiated without a confidentiality agreement.
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| 11.11.99 | Siemens contract
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| 98242 | Details of package of changes to a contract commercially confidential
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| Reason: | The question was answered in full. No information requested in the PQ was withheld. But a statement was made that details of the settlement package were commercially confidential.
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| Exemption: | Section 7 - Effective management and operations of the public service information whose disclosure would prejudice commercial or contractual activities. It is likely that the deal could not have been negotiated without a confidentiality agreement.
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