Publications

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 831 – average cost of investigation

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Per the Freedom of Information Scotland act 2002, Please provide the following information contained in your records:

"an average cost of investigating death following police contact"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

We have calculated the time cost of 135 PIRC investigations where we investigated a death following police contact from 2015 to 2022, and the average cost for investigations staff time across all investigations is £17,535.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 830 – data sharing agreement between PIRC and COPFS

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Per the Freedom of Information Scotland act 2002, Please provide the following information contained in your records:

1. The information Sharing Agreement between The COPFS and The PIRC.

2. What is the recorded date (or dates) when the Data Processor (or Controller) The PIRC entered into an Information Sharing Agreement (ISA), also known by the ICO as a Data Sharing Agreement, with COPFS relating to the sharing of personal information on Data Subjects where data/information would be defined as "sensitive" information e.g. allegations of pending criminal investigations and submissions to COPFS and medical information or alleged medical information?

3. Please also provide any APD or DPIA that is required?"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

1. The information sharing agreement between the PIRC and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has been incorporated into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU is available on our website at https://pirc.scot/media/5483/copfs-pirc-mou-final-october-2021.pdf. If you have any difficulty in accessing this document please let me know and I can send a copy to you.

2. The date of the current MoU is 21 October 2021.

3. There have been no APD or DPIAs carried out for this agreement.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 827 – gender breakdown of PIRC Investigations team

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Per FOISA, please provide me with information contained in your records as follows:

The Gender Breakdown in your Police Investigation Department by role and how many are former police officer's/constables?

Please also advise if any of your Police Investigation Department have previously been employed by the Scottish Police Authority?"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

The gender breakdown of the staff within our Investigations department, by role, is set out below. The number that are former police officers / constables in our Police Investigations Department was provided in our FOISA response reference FOI: 824. This number has not changed and is 38.

PIRC has one member of staff that was previously employed by the Scottish Police Authority.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 825 – data sharing agreement between PIRC and Police Scotland

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Per the Freedom of Information Scotland act 2002, Please provide the following information contained in your records:

1. The information Sharing Agreement between The Police Service of Scotland (Police Scotland) and The PIRC.

2. What is the recorded date (or dates) when the Data Processor (or Controller) The PIRC entered into an Information Sharing Agreement (ISA), also known by the ICO as a Data Sharing Agreement, with Police Scotland (Police Service of Scotland) relating to the sharing of personal information on Data Subjects where data/information would be defined as "sensitive" information e.g. allegations of pending criminal investigations and submissions to COPFS and medical information or alleged medical information?

3. Please also provide any APD or DPIA that is required?"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

1. The information sharing agreement between the PIRC and the Police Service of Scotland (PSoS) has been incorporated into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the PIRC, PSoS and the Scottish Police Authority. This MoU is available on our website at https://pirc.scot/media/5374/mou-pirc-ps-spa.pdf. If you have any difficulty in accessing this document please let me know and I can send a copy to you.

2. The date of the current MoU is 31 July 2020. Previous versions of this agreement date back to 2013 when PIRC was established.

3. There have been no APD or DPIAs carried out for this agreement.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 824 – number of PIRC investigators

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"The current number of people employed by the PIRC as Police Investigators, and as The PIRC helpfully advised that you have this to mean any role of Investigator you have, which are Senior Investigator, Deputy Senior Investigator, Technical Investigator and Investigator, therefore please provide the following:

Total Number of Investigators of all levels including HEAD INVESTIGATORS?

Total Number of HEAD INVESTIGATORS employed by the PIRC?

Total Number of these HEAD INVESTIGATORS that are ex police officers (Constables), retired officers of any rank that were employed by Police Scotland or any other Police Constabulary within The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland?"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

The number of investigators employed by the PIRC is outlined in the table below. It is broken down by job title and the number of investigators who previously worked as a police officer.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 821 – number of judicial reviews

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"In the last 5 years, how many times has the PIRC been subject to a judicial review regarding any and all responses to complainant/ complainants."

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

The number of PIRC complaint handling reviews that have been subject to a judicial review is zero.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 820 – PIRC guidance on complaints handling

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Per FOISA 2002, please provide me with the information contained in your records as follows:

The PIRC statutory guidance issued to Police Scotland, which sets out a six stage process which is the basis of all Police Scotland Complaint Handling."

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

Under Section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible. This guidance document is available for download from the PIRC website at https://pirc.scot/for-police/best-practice/. If you have any difficult accessing this page please let me know and we will supply the information to you.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 812 – Number of ex police officers at PIRC by force

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Since the formation of your body, could you tell me how many ex-police officers from each of the 8 force areas in Scotland have you employed, for each area."

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

Please find the requested information in the table below.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 811 – Number of ex police officers at PIRC

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"Per FOISA 2002 please supply the following information contained in your records as follows:

The number of ex police officers, retired officers of any rank that were employed by Police Scotland or any other Police Constabulary within The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland that are or have been employed by PIRC as Police Investigators in the last 5 years?"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 ("FOISA"). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

The number of ex police officers previously employed by any police force within the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland employed by PIRC in the last 5 years is 47.

27 January 2023 | Our Business

FOISA Response No. 809 – payment to Dame Elish for independent police complaints review

Where relevant, we publish our responses to Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

This response addressed the following query:

"How much did Dame Elish get paid for her ‘independent police complaints review’?"

The PIRC has considered this as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”). An application for information held by public authorities under section 1 of FOISA requires that a public authority release all information held, subject to any applicable exemptions.

Under Section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible. This question was previously answered by the Scottish Government in the FOISA request available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-18-01815/. More specifically, the fees and expenses are on page 21 of the response to this request. If you have any difficult accessing this page please let me know and we will supply the information to you.