PLEASE NOTE THAT THE POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER MAY NOT HOLD INFORMATION RELATING DIRECTLY TO LANCASHIRE POLICE OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITIES AND THEREFORE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUERY.
Freedom of Information Act 2000
What is the Freedom Of Information Act 2000?
Any person or organisation has the right to request any information from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) that the Office of the PCC holds, subject to the exemptions listed in the Act. The Act intends to promote a culture of openness and accountability and therefore facilitate a better understanding of how the PCC (and other organisations) carry out their duties, why we make the decisions we make and how we spend public money.
Before making a request
Before you make a request for information please visit our transparency section as the information you are looking for may already be available. If the information you want is not already available on this website you may make a specific request for information and we will deal with it in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Freedom of Information Disclosure Log
You can find previous FOI requests and disclosures as part of our FOI disclosure logs.
How to make a request
The easiest way to make a request is to use our contact form or email us at commissioner@lancashire-pcc.gov.uk We will keep you informed by email.
The data submitted will be handled in accordance with current data protection law and our privacy notice.
Alternatively, please put your request in writing to:
The Office of the PCC for Lancashire
PO Box 100
Preston
PR1 0LD
Please include a name and address for correspondence, and the information you require in as much detail as you can offer.
Timescale
The Office of the PCC will normally be required to respond to your request within 20 working days from the date of receipt. However, this can be extended in certain circumstances.
Exemptions
The Office of the PCC must supply the information you have requested (if we hold it) within the timescale previously stated unless an exemption applies. An exemption may either permit the PCC to withhold some or all of the information. If an exemption applies, the PCC may take more time to consider your request. In either case you will be kept informed.
Charges
There is no charge for searching for information. However if the staff time involved to search, identify and retrieve the information exceeds £450.00, a charge can be made or we can refuse the request. We can make a nominal charge for disbursements e.g. photocopying at 10pence per A4 sheet. If a charge for searching for information is payable we will advise you but the information you have requested will not be supplied until that fee is paid.
Other legislation
If you make a request for information relating to yourself it will be dealt with under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and you will be advised accordingly.
Advice and assistance
The Office of the PCC has a duty to provide advice and assist to help you obtain information from the PCC.
This could be in the form of;
- Providing help and assistance if you are visually impaired
- Arranging assistance in interpreting information into other languages where practically reasonable
- In exceptional circumstances noting down the request for you and obtaining your confirmation of the details
- Referring you to other agencies for help such as the Citizens Advice Bureau
If the PCC does not hold the information requested but believes that some or all of the information is held by another public authority we will either provide you with the contact details of the other public authority or transfer your request to them with your consent
If you require any advice or assistance please contact:
Office of the PCC for Lancashire
PO Box 100
Preston
PR1 0LD
Email: commissioner@lancashire-pcc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01772 533587
Data Protection Right of Access (Subject Access) Requests
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) provides you with a right to find out whether your personal data is being processed and if so to receive a copy of the personal data, together with some other supplementary information. This is commonly referred to as a subject access request (‘SAR’).
Subject access does not provide a right to access information about other people. In some limited circumstances there may also be further exemptions that restrict the right to access the information.
We will not ordinarily charge a fee for supplying the information about yourself. However, we recommend that the below application form is completed which will assist us to locate the relevant information.
Alternatively, we advise that you submit your request in writing or via email:
commissioner@lancashire-pcc.gov.uk
or
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
PO Box 100
County Hall
Preston
PR1 0LD
The request must include your name and address, and proof of your identity so that we can be satisfied that you are entitled to the information. Acceptable proof of identity includes a copy of your passport or driving licence.
The request should include as much detail as possible to enable us to respond in a timely manner and within the statutory timescale of a calendar month. In some exceptional circumstances, if the request is complex, we may exercise our ability to extend the deadline by a further two months.
We will usually provide the information electronically via secure email but we will endeavour to take account of alternative methods of transmission if requested.
If you are seeking access to general information which might be held by the PCC’s Office, but which does not relate to yourself then you are advised to make your request in writing and this will be considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/foi-eir-and-access-to-information/guide-to-freedom-of-information/what-is-the-foi-act/ (external link)
Other Data Subject Rights
There are a number of other rights (external link) which you may seek to exercise in certain circumstances. These include the right to rectification and the right to erasure, in particular if you consider that data is inaccurate or incomplete, or if it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Should you wish to exercise any of these rights, you should make the request in writing as above.
Further Information and Guidance
Police and Crime Commissioner’s Privacy Notice
The Police and Crime Commissioner is a registered (data) Controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Z3466326). You can search the register of controllers (external link) to find out more about:
- Reasons/purposes for which we process information.
- Type/classes of information we process.
- Who we process information about
- Who we may share information with
Further details are published on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s website and can be found here Privacy Notices
The Information Commissioner
The Information Commissioner (the Commissioner) is the regulator for data protection and other information legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
For more details about data protection legislation, your rights, you can refer to the Information Commissioner’s Office website (external link).
The Commissioner’s website also includes guidance for members of the public on subject access requests. (external link)
