FOI Response: 506.2013-14 – Freedom of information request
Request
- Could you please tell me how many publicly-funded staff Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan directly employs.
- Could you please tell me what each member of said staffs job title is, and a summary of their roles.
- Could you please disclose the salary of each publicly-funded member of staff.
- Could you please disclose how many applicants there were for each of these posts, and subsequently, how many people were interview for each role.
- Could you please disclose the communications budget for the commissioner.
Response
I write in connection with your request for information which was received by Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire Police on 8th October 2013. I note you seek access to the above information.
Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire. I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by the Commissioner.
Decision
Questions 1, 2 & 3
The following link will give you access to the webpage where information is published about the staff of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner:
https://northyorkshire-pfcc.mixd.co.uk/about/staff/
This webpage includes a structure chart for the staff, together with salary information and summaries of some of the job roles. The remaining job summaries will be published on the same page of the website in due course.
Question 4
| Job Title | Number of Applicants | Number of People Interviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of Staff | n/a – redeployment | n/a – redeployment |
| Governance Support Officer | n/a – redeployment | n/a – redeployment |
| PA to the Commissioner | 28 | 4 |
| Office Administrator | 20 | 4 |
| Head of Commissioning & Partnerships | 21 | 5 |
| Public Engagement Officer | First campaign – 4 Second campaign – 7 |
First campaign – 0 Second campaign – 7 |
| Office Caseworker/Researcher | First campaign – 57 Second campaign – 39 |
First campaign – 4 Second campaign – 5 |
Question 5
Please see the following link for details of the Commissioner’s budget for the financial year 2013/2014:
You may also wish to note the information published here:
This report details how the Commissioner’s budget has been reduced and refers specifically to the money spent on senior salaries.
Information already published – Questions 1, 2, 3, & 5
I have provided you with links to information that is already published, however, I have decided that the Commissioner is fully exempt from providing you with a separate copy of this information for the reasons detailed below.
Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) requires the Commissioner when refusing to provide information because the information is exempt, to provide the applicant with a notice which: (a) states the fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if it would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
Section 21 – Information reasonably accessible by other means
It has been decided that the Commissioner is exempt from providing you with a separate copy of the information you have requested, as it is already published on her website and fully accessible via the above links.
Section 21 is a class based absolute exemption which does not require consideration of the harm or public interest when applying this exemption.
Information for future publication – Question 2
Section 22 – Information Intended for Future Publication
As explained above, there are already several job summaries published on the website. In due course, the remaining job summaries will also be published.
It has been decided that the Commissioner is fully exempt from providing you with the remaining unpublished job summaries at this stage, pursuant to Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as the information is intended for future publication.
Section 22 is a qualified class based exemption. When Section 22 is engaged consideration must be given to the public interest in disclosure or non-disclosure of the information. It is recognised that it must be reasonable in all circumstances to withhold the information until the date of publication.
Public Interest Considerations – Section 22
Factors favouring Disclosure
Disclosure now would allow immediate access to the information and would exceed the Commissioner’s transparency obligations.
Factors favouring non-Disclosure
A decision to publish all such job summaries was taken at the time the structure chart was published, in August 2013. This decision was therefore made before the request for information was received. The remaining job summaries will be published as soon as possible and when they have been through the grading process and the job profiles are finalised and staff are in post for all remaining jobs. Disclosure in accordance with the planned timetable means that the information can be produced and published efficiently and will be available to all enquirers at the same time.
Balancing Test
Some job summaries are already available on the Commissioner’s website. The remaining job summaries will be published within a short timescale. The disclosure of this information is part of the Commissioner’s publication scheme and will be published in a timely and efficient manner. Therefore factors favouring non-disclosure outweigh those factors favouring disclosure.
Pursuant to Section 17(1) Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice in relation to these parts of your request.
Complaint Rights
Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of complaint.
If you have any queries concerning this request, please contact me quoting the reference number above.