Freedom of Information Log 2024-2025

Freedom of Information Log - April 2024 - March 2025

Please find below all Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests received by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire and the related responses. We are required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (The Act) to handle all requests in a manner that is blind to the identity of the requestor. Any information released in response to a request is regarded as being published and therefore, in the public domain without caveat.

OPCC/FOI/2024/1

Received: 18/04/2024

Response sent: 29/05/2024

Request:

I would like to request the following information for the period 1/3/24 to 17/4/24:

• Please supply copies of emails sent from any bedford.gov.uk email addresses to the OPCC discussing the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel Complaints Sub-Committee held on Monday, 25th March, 2024
• Please supply copies of emails sent from from the OPCC to any bedford.gov.uk email addresses discussing the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel Complaints Sub-Committee held on Monday, 25th March, 2024

Response:

** Please contact us if you would like to be sent a copy of the attachment emails **

We are required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (The Act) to handle all requests in a manner that is blind to the identity of the requestor. Any information released in response to a request is regarded as being published and therefore, in the public domain without caveat.

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your question, if the requested information is the personal data of someone other than the requester, the exemption under section 40 (2) Personal Information, of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) may be engaged. To ensure that the individuals concerned are not identifiable, redactions have been made to the emails requested attached, under section 40 (2) of FOIA.

The report pertaining to the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel Complaints Sub-Committee was sent from Bedford Borough Council to the OPCC and therefore the exemption under section 41 – Confidentiality, of the FOIA has been applied.

This exemption applies if the following two conditions are satisfied:

• you received the information from someone else; and
• complying with the request would be a breach of confidence that is actionable.

You may wish to contact Bedford Borough Council directly to request for the report at https://www.bedford.gov.uk/your-council/data-protection-and-access-information/freedom-information.

You may also find the following information useful: https://councillorsupport.bedford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=6610&x=1.

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

OPCC/FOI/2024/2

Received: 22/04/2024

Response sent: 01/05/2024

Request:

Please can you confirm the process that the three neighbourhood watch schemes use to receive funding from the PCC/OPCC?

What funding has been made available for these three schemes since May 2021?

Also, please supply copies of any communications between the OPCC and Luton Neighbourhood Watch between Feb 2022 and Fed 2023 that mentions granting funds or refusing to grant funds. Please include the minutes from meetings between the OPCC and Luton Neighbourhood Watch.

Response:

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your questions please see the following:

A1 – From the beginning of the financial year 2023/24, a change in funding process was implemented, in consultation with Bedfordshire Police, that resulted in the OPCC allocating watch scheme funds directly to Bedfordshire Police who are then responsible for distribution. The neighbourhood watch schemes can apply to Bedfordshire Police for the funding that has been allocated for them by the OPCC, but must tell us how the funding is going to be spent. Funding is not provided to any organisation unconditionally as it is public money and must be accounted for. The criteria is set by Bedfordshire Police and this is aligned closely to their neighbourhood priorities.

Once it is clear what the funding is going to be spent on and it aligns with the criteria for spend, the funding is then provided (up to a pre-defined limit) and we then monitor periodically to make sure that the funds are being spent in the way outlined in the original application. This ensures that public money is spent correctly. This applies to all organisations that the PCC funds and forms part of the agreement for receiving the funding from the PCC as we want to make sure that public money is not wasted, and that our commissioning processes are followed.

A2 – What funding has been made available for these three schemes since May 2021?

The following funding was allocated by the OPCC to be provided and spent by the three neighbourhood watch schemes in the years 21/22, 22/23 and 24/25. Not all of the funding in 22/23 and 23/24 was applied for by the three NHW schemes. In 23/24, £20,000 was available for all of the watch schemes to apply for a share of. This included Horse Watch, Dog Watch, Street Watch as well as Neighbourhood Watch. In 21/22 the funding for Neighbourhood Watch was managed by Bedfordshire Police. £6,000 was allocated and provide by the OPCC for the three neighbourhood watches. We haven’t been able to confirm if all £6,000 was provided to the three neighbourhood watch schemes but there is nothing in our records to say that it was not.

	2021-22	22-23	23-24
Bedford	£2,000	£4,500 available, £2,250 applied for and received	A share of £20,000 available, £2,507 applied for and received
Luton	£2,000	£4,500 available, £4,500 applied for and received	A share of £20,000 available, applied for £0
Central Beds	£2,000	£4,500 available, applied for £0	A share of £20,000 available, applied for £0

A3 – Whilst we correspond with individuals that are members of the neighbourhood watch (NHW) , there is no set mailbox for NHW, so we are unable to provide this information as it would exceed the 18 hour limit to establish what correspondence has been directly involving or about neighbourhood watch and individuals contacting the OPCC on a personal matter. The Information Commissioners Office guidance states: The appropriate limit will be exceeded if it would require 18 hours work for other public authorities.

A4 – you have requested minutes between the OPCC and LNHW – I can confirm there are no minutes. However, the OPCC did attend a meeting last week which was chaired by Bedfordshire Police, so they may have a record or minutes of this meeting. If you wish to make a request to the Force, please email: foi@beds.police.uk

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

OPCC/FOI/2024/3

Received: 07/05/2024

Response sent: 08/05/2024

Request:

Would you be able to send me a copy of your current PCC (or equivalent) manifesto and a copy of the Police and Crime Plan.

Response:

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your question, the Police and Crime Plan for 2021 – 2024 is currently published on our website here:
https://www.bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk/police-crime-plan/, however as of 9 May 2024, Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard will be officially taking up the role after he was the successful Labour candidate in the public Police and Crime Commissioner elections, which took place 2 May 2024. This will therefore mean that there will be a period of consultation prior to the drafting of a new Police and Crime Plan. Please review our website throughout the year for further updates.

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

OPCC/FOI/2024/5

Received: 23/05/2024

Response sent: 29/05/2024

Request:

Please may I request the following information.
Can you provide details of grants awarded in the financial years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024:
• For which at least one of the outputs/outcomes was to provide services to victims of stalking. This could be any service to help victims such as counselling, information and advice, or casework; or address perpetrator offending such as perpetrator intervention programmes, however there must be specific reference to working with victims of stalking.
• Please provide details of the grant including the amount, the service provider, the services provided and the specific stalking outcome/output.
• Please indicate with a y/n if the service is open to victims of stalking who are not ex-intimate in the table below.

Response:

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your question, please see answers in bold below.

2022-2023:

None funded specifically for stalking however a domestic abuse Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC) is included in the Core Independent Domestic Violence Advisor service. There are no specific stalking related outcomes from this service.

2023-2024:

Name of grant

Grant amount

Service provider

Services provided

Specific stalking outcome

Provides services for non-ex intimate victims of stalking

Non-domestic abuse Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC)

£48,114.00

Victim support

Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC) for non- domestic abuse victims.

Safety and security planning e.g. escape route/changing routines/target hardening home
Support around the CJS/civil remedy/court support available
Support around housing e.g. referral to supported accommodation/refuge
Liaison with key services e.g. child protection/safeguarding/legal advice
Access to ongoing self-support tools such as My Support Space including module on stalking, covering stalking and the law and recognising stalking behaviours

Outcome*	Proposed KPIs
Increase in self-reported ability to cope	KPI: 80% of clients report increase
Increase in self-reported feeling of being informed	KPI: 80% of clients report increase
Increase in positive experience of Criminal Justice System	KPI: 80% of clients report increase
Increase in self-reported feelings of safety	KPI: 80% of clients report increase
Increase in self-reported feelings of confidence and wellbeing	KPI: 80% of clients report increase
Increase in self-reported level of reintegration with family/community	KPI: 80% of clients report increase

This service is for non-domestic abuse related stalking victims.

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

OPCC/FOI/2024/6

Received: 18/04/2024

Response sent: 16/05/2024

Request:

Spend on Office supplies and associated products for the below financial years.
1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023
1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024
Start date & duration of Contract?
Is there an extension clause in the contract and, if so, the duration of the extension?
Has a decision been made yet on whether the contract is to be either extended or renewed?
Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for the contract?
Name of Incumbent Supplier?
How long have you traded with them?
If you publish your register of contracts and purchasing, can you please provide a website link.
In addition, can you confirm if you have a contract in place for Tail End Spend.

Response:

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your question, please see answers below.

• 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023 £380.67 Spent on Stationery and Office Consumables
• 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024 £367.79 Spent on Stationery and Office Consumables

Please note, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner does not hold information relating to contracts.

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

OPCC/FOI/2024/7

Received: 09/05/2024

Response sent: 29/05/2024

Request:

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act as follows:
• The total sum of money, if any, given to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in grant funding or other funding, since 2016 to the present day.

Response:

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your question, please see the answer in bold below.

There is no record of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) ever funding the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

OPCC/FOI/2024/8

Received: 09/05/2024

Response sent: 29/05/2024

Request:

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act as follows:
• The total staffing budget for your PCC’s private office and political staff.
• The total number of staff employed in your PCC’s private or political office.
• The salary banding of those staff.
• The declarable interests of those staff.

Response:

With reference to your recent enquiry and in response to your question, please see the answers in bold below.
The PCC is a newly elected PCC, there are no budgeted posts within the OPCC that are political or private office staff at present.

The PCC is seeking to appoint a Deputy PCC, the confirmation hearing is being held on the 4th June 2024 – https://councillorsupport.bedford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=561&MId=6439&Ver=4

The renumeration for the Deputy PCC is based upon the PCC’s salary. Ms Ali will receive 75% of the PCC’s renumeration (currently £54,975) pro rata for two days per week. This will be met from existing budgets.

There are no declarable interests at this time, as the appointment has not been confirmed.

All staff within the OPCC fall under the leadership of the Chief Executive (statutory role) to deliver the functions required of an OPCC including Governance, Commissioning, Finance and Project Management, for information surrounding OPCC team members, please visit the following webpage: https://www.bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk/meet-the-team/

Please come back to us if you require further assistance on this matter.

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Freedom of Information Log - April 2024 - March 2025

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