Senior Officers Cars

I would like to request information on cars made available by your force to Senior Officers.

Requests:
1: A current list of cars provided for senior officers (make, model and any further details available).

2: Actual or estimated purchase costs for all cars provided for senior officers since April 2006 including a note of whether the cars were acquired new or not.

3: A full lists of all cars (make, model) provided for senior officers since April 2006 including the dates they were in service and if possible what happened to them (were they sold, for example, and if so for what value?)

4: The annual costs of servicing and insuring these cars as covered by the police force (or otherwise an itemised list of costs relevant to servicing and insuring these cars). If possible for years 2009-2010, 2008-9 and 2007-8.

5: The annual costs covered by the police force of drivers (salary, and where possible, expenses) if relevant. I would like this for the years 2009-10, 2008-9, 2007-8.

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Questions 1 to 4: Please see the attached Word doc:

It should be noted that the vehicles listed although provided for senior officers are also equipped as police vehicles (i.e. blue lights and sirens etc.) These vehicle are also used for operational policing when required.

ACPO Vehicles FOI 2888

Question 5. Cost of drivers. The Cheshire Constabulary employs one occasional part time driver. The cost are limited to the payments of wage and expenses.

Having considered your request I am not obliged to supply the information.

Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Cheshire Constabulary, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you with a notice which a) states that fact, b) specifies the exemption in question and c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

The information you have requested is exempt information in accordance with

Section 40 (2) Personal data.

Section 40(2) any information to which a request for information relates is also exempt information if

(a) it constitutes personal data which does not fall within subsection (1), and

(b) either the first or the second condition below is satisfied

(3) The first condition is:-

(a) in a case where the information falls within any of paragraphs (a) to (d) of the definition of "data" in section 1(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998, that the disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under this Act would contravene:-

(i) any of the data protection principles

In this case the data amounts to monies paid to one individual. Disclosure would breach principles 1 & 2 of the Data Protection Act 1998 and would be unlawful. Section 40 (2) is therefore an absolute exemption.