FOI Request to Thames Valley Police re helicopter flight(s)

On 26th October 2010 I sent the following Freedom of Information Request to Thames Valley Police.

The correspondence to the Attorney General which I mention in that FOI request is online here: Open Letter to the Attorney General regarding the need for an inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly.

The FOI Request was acknowledged on 27th October 2010 and given the reference RFI2010000727.

The text of the FOI Request of 26th October was as follows:

Hi,

I wish to make a Freedom of Information request regarding the log of the Police Helicopter with respect to the search for Dr. David Kelly after the report that he was missing (approx. 23.40 on 17th July 2003, I understand).

I ask for a copy of the Police helicopter log for the relevant search and for the following specific information.

At what time did the helicopter begin to search for heat sources?

Further, I wish to ask if the helicopter surveyed Harrowdown Hill, if so at what time Harrowdown Hill was surveyed and if any heat source was identified there.

Finally, I ask for identification of the make and model of the heat seeking equipment in the helicopter and the date/time on which it was last tested prior to the search of interest.

I have grouped these questions into a single FOI request since it seems likely that you will be able to access all the requested information from a single information source or closely related information sources.

Thames Valley Police should be aware that yesterday I wrote to the Attorney General formally requesting that he seek from the High Court an order to open an inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly.

Any information that Thames Valley Police provides (or refuses to provide) in this regard may be relayed to the Attorney General (or the Coroner, if one is appointed) in that connection.

Thank you

(Dr) Andrew Watt

Freedom of Information Requests about the Death of Dr. David Kelly

One of the growing problems in attempting to keep on top of what new information is available about the death of Dr. Kelly is that there is no single place where the responses to Freedom of Information requests are available.

I'm intending to produce a document that tabulates all the information that is publicly available.

I imagine that this will take quite some time to put together.

If you have asked any FOI questions I'd appreciate it if you would forward to me a copy of your question(s) and the response(s).

I hope progressively to add such responses to a document which collates all the FOI questions asked and the answers given.

I know, for example, that Norman Baker MP asked a significant number of FOI questions but those questions and the answers are not publicly visible, so far as I know. Which seems a pity.

Please email information about any FOI requests that you've made about the death of David Kelly to AndrewWattChilcot@gmail.com

FOI Review Request to the Cabinet Office re COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003

Given the inadequate response, FOI Response from the Cabinet Office re COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003, to my FOI Request of 16th May 2011, FOI Request to the Cabinet Office re COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003, I wrote to the Cabinet Office on 22nd September 2011 making a request for a formal review of the FOI Response of 20th September.

As will be evident, I was a little irritated by the inadequacy and evasion of the FOI Response of 20th September.

Dear Mr Smethurst,

As per the attachment to Mr. Keeling's email of today's date I am writing to seek internal review of the Cabinet Office response to my FOI request relating to activation of the COBRA procedure on 17th and/or 18th July 2003..

It seems to me preposterous to suggest that the Cabinet Office does not hold information as to whether or not the Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure was used in the time period specified in my original request.

Is the Cabinet Office seriously seeking to suggest that the Police would hold that information?

I would be grateful if the Cabinet Office would give careful and rigorous attention to seeking to provide a response which is less visibly inadequate and evasive.

For convenience, I repeat below my signature the text of the original FOI request of 16th May 2011.

I hope that the Cabinet Office will be able to conduct the internal review in a less visibly tardy fashion than the timescale of the production of the FOI Response.

I look forward to an early reply containing the result of the internal review.

Thank you

(Dr) Andrew Watt

************** FOI Request of 16th May 2011 *****************************

This is a Freedom of Information request.

I understand the term "Cabinet Office Briefing Room" broadly to refer to procedures applicable to an emergency and/or crisis response by the UK Government. I ask that the following questions are interpreted using that broad definition.

1. Was a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure activated at any time between 14.30 on 17th July 2003 and 23.59 on 18th July 2003?

2. During the period described in question 1. was a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure activated with respect to the death of Dr. David Kelly?

3. Which individual was in charge of the COBRA response with respect to the disappearance and death of Dr. David Kelly?

4. Who was Platinum commander with respect to the disappearance and death of Dr. David Kelly?

5. At what time was that individual (or those individuals) referred to in questions 4. and 5. notified that Dr. David Kelly was missing?

6. At what time was that individual (or those individuals) referred to in questions 4. and 5. notified that a body had been found?

7. At any time during the period referred to in question 1 did anyone associated with a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure contact the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, regarding the disappearance and/or death of Dr. David Kelly?

8. At any time during the period referred to in question 1 did anyone associated with a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure contact the then Director of Communications and Strategy, Alastair Campbell, regarding the disappearance and/or death of Dr. David Kelly?

9. If a Cabinet Office Briefing Room was activated with respect to the disappearance and death of Dr. David Kelly, at what time did that happen and at what time was it deactivated?

*****************************************************


In a message dated 20/09/2011 15:30:27 GMT Daylight Time, jonathan.keeling@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk writes:
Dear Dr Watt,



I attach a reply to your FOI request.



I am sorry for the delay in responding to your request.



Regards,



Jonathan Keeling

Openness Adviser

Openness Team

Knowledge and Information Management Unit

Cabinet Office

Room 3.30, Admiralty Arch

The Mall

London SW1A 2WH



Tel: 020-7276 6334

Email: jonathan.keeling@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk

FOI Response from the Cabinet Office re COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003

In the preceding post, FOI Request to the Cabinet Office re COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003, I set out a Freedom of Information Request made on 16th May 2011 to the Cabinet Office about possible COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003.

Below I set out the relevant part of the response from the Cabinet Office dated 20th September 2003. I've edited out the routine material about how to ask for a formal review etc.

Following a search of our records, I must inform you that the Cabinet Office, which includes the Prime Minister's Office, does not hold information relevant to your request.

So, it seems that the Cabinet Office is asking me to believe that it doesn't know whether or not the COBRA procedure was activated on 17th and/or 18th July 2003 or not.

Not suprisingly, I've lodged a request for a formal review of the response dated 20th September 2011.

My working hypothesis is that COBRA was activated and the Cabinet Office doesn't want to admit that.

I could be wrong.

If COBRA wasn't activated on 17th and/or 18th July 2003 in relation to the disappearance and death of David Kelly, why not just put a simple "No" in response to question 1. and question 2.?

FOI Request to the Cabinet Office re COBRA activation on 17th and 18th July 2003

On 16th May 2011 I wrote to the Cabinet Office making the following Freedom of Information Request.

The purpose of the request was to establish whether or not UK Government emergency procedures, often referred to coloquially as "COBRA", were activated on 17th or 18th July 2003.

ACC Michael Page of Thames Valley Police was "gold commander".

The possibility of a so-called "platinum command" at UK Government level existed (and exists).

The FOI Request was designed to attempt to find out if the COBRA procedure was activated in relation to the death of David Kelly.

This is a Freedom of Information request.

I understand the term "Cabinet Office Briefing Room" broadly to refer to procedures applicable to an emergency and/or crisis response by the UK Government. I ask that the following questions are interpreted using that broad definition.

1. Was a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure activated at any time between 14.30 on 17th July 2003 and 23.59 on 18th July 2003?

2. During the period described in question 1. was a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure activated with respect to the death of Dr. David Kelly?

3. Which individual was in charge of the COBRA response with respect to the disappearance and death of Dr. David Kelly?

4. Who was Platinum commander with respect to the disappearance and death of Dr. David Kelly?

5. At what time was that individual (or those individuals) referred to in questions 4. and 5. notified that Dr. David Kelly was missing?

6. At what time was that individual (or those individuals) referred to in questions 4. and 5. notified that a body had been found?

7. At any time during the period referred to in question 1 did anyone associated with a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure contact the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, regarding the disappearance and/or death of Dr. David Kelly?

8. At any time during the period referred to in question 1 did anyone associated with a Cabinet Office Briefing Room procedure contact the then Director of Communications and Strategy, Alastair Campbell, regarding the disappearance and/or death of Dr. David Kelly?

9. If a Cabinet Office Briefing Room was activated with respect to the disappearance and death of Dr. David Kelly, at what time did that happen and at what time was it deactivated?

Thank you

(Dr) Andrew Watt

FOI Request to Thames Valley Police re TVP handling of DC Coe's false statement to the Hutton Inquiry

This post consists largely of a Freedom of Information request to Thames Valley Police sent earlier today regarding its awareness and handling of DC Graham Coe's false statement to the Hutton Inquiry.

It seems to me that Thames Valley Police have handled the issue badly in not being honest about the false testimony at an early date.

This is a Freedom of Information request.

On 16th September 2003 DC Graham Coe made a false statement to the Hutton Inquiry about the number of individuals he was accompanied by in the vicinity of Harrowdown Hill, Oxfordshire.

1. When did Thames Valley Police first become aware that DC Coe had made a false statement to the Hutton Inquiry?

2. Did Thames Valley Police conduct an internal inquiry of any type into DC Coe's false statement? Did Thames Valley Police impose any disciplinary penalty on DC Coe?

3. What steps have Thames Valley Police made to inform the public about DC Coe's false statement?

4. Has Thames Valley Police ever issued a formal statement to the public on the matter? If so, on what date? I ask for a copy of any and all such statements.

5. Has Thames Valley Police ever publicly apologised about this matter?

6. Was Chief Constable Peter Neyroud party to the concealment of DC Coe's false testimony?

7. What costs have been incurred by Thames Valley Police subsequent to 16th September 2003 as a result of promptly failing to be open and honest about DC Coe's false testimony?

Thank you

(Dr) Andrew Watt

FOI Request to Thames Valley Police re vehicle with a communications mast

The following Freedom of Information request was sent to Thames Valley Police on 8th December 2010.

Thames Valley Police have refused to answer the question. That refusal was sent to me on 8th January 2011.

I asked for a formal internal review. Following that review, Thames Valley Police continue to refuse to answer the question.

Thames Valley Police allocated the request the following reference: RFI2010000848

This is a Freedom of Information request.

With respect to the vehicle with a communications mast on it (described by Janice Kelly in evidence to the Hutton Inquiry at Lines 7 and 8 on Page 53 at http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/content/transcripts/hearing-trans24.htm ),

1. At what time on 17th July 2003 or 18th July 2003 was the presence of the vehicle at the Kelly home requested?

2. At what time on 18th July 2003 did the vehicle arrive at the Kelly house?

3. On whose authority was the presence of the vehicle requested?

4. Where, in July 2003, was the vehicle normally based?

5. From what location did the vehicle travel to the Kelly house?

6. Which organisation(s) owned the vehicle and its associated communications equipment?

7. What was the make and model of the communications equipment on the vehicle?

8. What was the maximum range of the communications equipment on the vehicle?

Thank you

(Dr) Andrew Watt