Overall responsibility for the Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership is taken by the partnership’s steering group, the Wiltshire & Swindon Road Safety Board. The group oversees all aspects of the partnership work.
The Group has delegated the day to day responsibility for the operation of the Safety Camera Unit (SCU) to the SCU manager who is supported by employees employed within the management office. The SCU manager is initially responsible to the Speed Management Board which comprises of members from all the partners.
General Information
The Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership has produced this Publication Scheme in accordance with the requirements of Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).
The Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership was formed in April 2002 to cover the geographical area of Wiltshire County and Swindon Borough. The partnership serves an area of approximately 1433 square miles with a population in excess of 435,000. However, due to its geographical location, being located astride a number of major trunk roads (including the M4) which transit the county east – west; Wiltshire sees a vast amount of transiting traffic especially during the summer months.
Whilst the Safety Camera Partnership is not a public body, we are comprised of public bodies and as we comply with specific policies of the various individual member organisations, we recognise the need to embrace the Freedom of Information legislation.
Purpose of this Publication Scheme
Under Section 19 of the Act, each public authority is required to produce a publication scheme. The scheme is to set out the information that an organisation will publish or intends to publish and the manner and timescale in which it intends so to do.
The scheme is intended to ensure that a significant amount of information is readily available to the public to ensure the development of a greater culture of openness within organisations.
Within the Act, there are 23 exemptions which are complex, many of which do not apply automatically to the Partnership. The exemptions which will, in the main apply to the Partnership are:
- Section 21. – Information that is already in the public domain. (whether provided in hard copy by the partnership; on the partnership website or supplied through other public bodies).
- Section 22. – Information intended for future publication.
- Section 30. – Investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities.
- Section 31. – Law Enforcement.
- Section 36. – Prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.
- Section 38. – Health & Safety.
- Section 40. – Personal Information.
- Section 43. – Commercial Interests.
There are however, two specific categories of information that are of particular concern to Safety Camera Partnerships and these concern:
- Details of enforcement thresholds and
- Information that could be used to deduce enforcement activity at specific enforcement sites or throughout routes.
In September 2004, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) applied the public interest test to evaluate whether withholding such information from the public, better served their interests than releasing it. ACPO found that the benefit of disclosing such information was outweighed by the potential consequences to law enforcement and the impact on road safety. They issued guidance to the effect that the two categories of information qualified for exemption under Section 31 of the Act. Therefore, this Partnership will only publish site specific details in relation to accident statistics.
About the scheme
The scheme is published on the Partnership website and is available in hard or electronic copy upon written request.
The scheme lists information available, where it can be obtained from, or where written requests should be submitted in order to obtain this information. If information has not yet been published but there is every intention of so doing, then where possible, requestors will be advised of a projected date of publication.
Availability of information will be subject to timescales relative to the time information is held prior to disposal in line with Partnership procedures. All requests for information must be made in writing to the Freedom of Information Officer at Safety Camera Offices, PO Box 3025, Devizes, SN10 9AH or via e-mail to:
FOISafetyCameraUnit@wiltshire.police.uk
Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership are committed to publishing as much information as possible on the Partnership website at: www.safetycameraswiltshire.co.uk/ . Where required information has not been published on the website, a written request is required. On receipt of which, the Partnership’s Freedom of Information Officer will then endeavour to respond to requests for information within 20 working days. However, if there should be a need to clarify information requested, the 20 day period will be suspended from the time a clarification letter is sent to the inquirer until such time as a reply is received. Should a reply to a request for clarification not be received within 60 days, then the initial request will be cancelled and the file closed.
It should be noted that requests for information under the Act by recipients of a Notice of Intended Prosecution does not negate a person’s responsibility to respond within the required timescale with details of the driver at the time of the alleged offence.
Information Available
Outlined in the table below are the categories of information with the proposed publication strategy
| Serial | Information | Policy | Comment |
| 1. | CASUALTY DATA | ||
| 1.a. | Benchmark casualty (or collision) data for each site | Published on partnership website under Camera Site Search link - click on photo link. NB: Casualty statistics only quoted on Core Sites | Also available on written request |
| 1.b. | Updated casualty (or collision) data for each site | Published on partnership websitet. | Also available on written request |
| 1.c. | Individual accident reports (including causation factors)/ Stats 19 data | Exempt under Section 21 - Available from other sources. | Available from Wiltshire Police. Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership cannot release this data. Link available via Publication Library |
| 1.d. | Long-term trends (e.g. fatals over 20 years etc) or comparative periods | Exempt under Section 21 - Available from other sources. | Available from Wiltshire Police. Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership cannot release this data. Link available via Publication Library |
| 1.e. | Specific group casualties – e.g. child or pedestrian casualties | Released on written request | Only relating to camera sites. Some of this information will be proactively released as part of our annual reports. |
| 2. | FINANCIAL DATA | ||
| 2.a. | Partnership costs | Published on partnership website. | Financial data to be released after completion of audit. |
| 2.b. | Overtime | Release on request | Total hours only, not individual details. |
| 2.c. | Number of Fixed Penalties (FP) Paid | Total numbers available on request | NO INDIVIDUAL SITE INCOME TO BE RELEASED. FP figures as an annual total or as a local authority total. Ideally, totals to be released only after completion of audit, but number of fixed penalty notices paid released 6 monthly. |
| 2.d. | Number of Notices of Intended Prosecution issued. | Available on written request | Totals for individual sites will not be issued. Exemption under Section 31 applies. |
| 2.e. | Payment rate/Details of which Notices are cancelled and why | Released on written request providing can be collated within 18 hours | |
| 2.f. | Staffing levels | Release on request | |
| 2.g. | Annual finance sheets | Will not be released under Section 22 Information intended for future publication Release on request only after audit complete | |
| 3. | OPERATIONAL DATA | ||
| 3.a. | Staffing levels (e.g. numbers of police staff) | Released on request | |
| 3.b. | Thresholds | Will not be released –Exemption under Section 31 Law Enforcement | Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership does not enforce below ACPO recommended thresholds. |
| 3.c. | Fixed camera programme | Will not be released - Exemption under Section 31 Law Enforcement & Sect 38 Health & Safety | |
| 3.d. | Mobile camera programme | Published on website | Mobile camera deployments are publicised at least a week in advance, giving locality or route to be enforced during the coming week. NB: Other camera sites can also be visited at any time for operational reasons. |
| 3.e. | Photographs/video images | Alleged offenders are able to view photographic and certificates of calibration/conformity on the partnership's secure website. | |
| 3.f. | Information relating to other people's offences - e.g. 1. requests for other people's images | 1. Will not be released under Data Protection Act. An exemption under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies | |
| 3.g. | Calibration Certificates | Alleged offenders are able to view certificates of calibration/conformity on the partnership's secure website. | All the partnership's cameras are checked annually by the relevant manufacturer in accordance with Home Office Type Approval. |
| 3.h. | Details of management staff contact telephone numbers | Published on website on 'Contact Us' page. | Contact can also be made through website e-mail link. |
| 3.i. | Details about vandalism | Released on request. | Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Exemptions under FOI Act 2000 may apply |
| 3.j. | Questions about blue-light offences | Available from other sources | Requestor should contact police or ambulance / fire and rescue services. |
| 3.k. | Information about the safety/security of partnership assets | Will not be released. - Exempt under Section 38 Health and Safety | |
| 3.l. | Queries re the type approval process | Exempt under Section 21 - Available from other sources | ACPO and Home Office websites |
| 3.m. | Equipment Manuals | If held, can be released | Refer to appropriate manufacturer |
| 3.n. | Health and Safety/Risk Assessments | Release on request | |
| 3.o. | Parking/Traffic Regulation Orders | Exempt under Section 21 - Available from other sources | Refer requestor to appropriate Local Authority. |
| 3.p. | Signing schedules/ Road Safety Audit | Exempt under Section 21 - Available from other sources | Refer requestor to appropriate Local Authority. |
| 3.q. | Policies and Procedures/ Codes of Practice | Published on website. | Operationally or otherwise sensitive information will be redacted prior to publication |
| 3.r. | Organisational chart | Release on written request | |
| 3.s. | Speed limit orders | Available from other sources | Refer to appropriate Local Authority |
| 3.t. | Minutes of meetings | Available on written request | Minutes will be released on request, once operationally sensitive information has been redacted. |
| 3.u. | Correspondence, including emails | Release on request | Personal and sensitive information will be redacted. |
| 3.v. | Date of installation of cameras. | Released on request | Release date will be date site was commissioned. |
| 3.w. | Section 9 staements | Will not be released - Exemption under Section 30 Investigations | |
| 3.x. | Equipment maintenance records | Equipment maintenance records in relation to camera systems are not held by the Safety Camera Partnership– this information will be exempted under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Available by other means | Requestor will be referred to maintenance establishment. |
| 3.y. | Number of cameras | Released on request | |
| 3.z. | Number of housings | Released on request | |
| 3.aa. | Site speed thresholds/prioritisation | Exemption under Section 31 Law Enforcement | Enforcement levels will not be disclosed. |
| 3.bb. | Public opinion surveys | Publish on website and make available in hard copy and via e-mail. | |
| 3.cc. | Job descriptions | Released on request |
Notes:
- All information above will be available in the format listed. A charge will only be made where hard copy requests exceed 100 pages.
- Once information that is to be released on request has been requested more than twice, it will be published on the website in the Publication Library to reduce further requests.
- Via Partnership Website: Where information is provided, one copy may be downloaded but Copyright restrictions apply. Links may be provided to other related websites, especially where Section 21 applies but information supplied there is the responsibility of that organisation.
- By Post: Information will be supplied by post if specifically requested in that format.
- By e-mail: If a request is received by e-mail and the information is not held in electronic form, then if not already supplied, the requestor will be asked for a postal address. (Should this be the case, then the 20 day period will be suspended until receipt of the address.
Normally, there will be no charges for the provision of information requested. However, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides that we are able to quantify the work required to interrogate systems, collate the work in order to provide the information. Should the Partnership estimate that the retrieval of the information will require in excess of 18 hours, the Partnership will not provide the information – Section 12 (1) of the Act refers and the requestor will be notified accordingly in writing. The refusal notification will, where possible advise the requestor of options that may be available to him/her which may or may not include a payment.
Requests for Personal Information Whilst the Freedom of Information Act 2000 acts alongside the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998; the DPA stills affords protection of individual rights in regard to the release of personal information. It is paramount that we distinguish between DPA and FOI requests so that if a request is made for personal information held about an individual, then this will be categorised as a ‘subject access request’ under the DPA and all such enquiries will be forwarded to the Wiltshire Police Data Protection Officer. Any such requests of that nature should therefore in the first instance, be addressed to the Data Protection Officer, Data Protection Unit, Chippenham Police Station, Wood Lane, Chippenham, SN15 3DH. For more information please view the following link:
http://www.wiltshire.police.uk/foi/dataprot.asp
Freedom of information Appeals Process
The Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership takes customer satisfaction very seriously and will undertake a review of all appeals made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This will be done in line with the Department for Constitutional Affairs Code of Practice and ACPO guidance.
Any written reply from an applicant expressing dissatisfaction may be treated as an appeal for review. An applicant may request an independent review if he/she is not content with the response supplied by the Safety Camera Partnership.
Complaints regarding an individual's conduct in dealing with a request for information will not be dealt with under this process. Instead, the complainant will be directed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
The review process only applies to matters subject to a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Other enquiries to the unit, which are dealt with as 'business as usual' fall outside of this process.
- The Safety Camera Partnership’s Freedom of Information Decision Maker who made the original decision must be contacted directly or forwarded any complaint or request for appeal. He/she will respond by logging the application, and by acknowledging in writing the receipt of the appeal. Initially he/she will review the decision originally made against the original request and any additional information supplied from the requestor and if he/she decides that the original decision was correct, the complaint will automatically be referred to an Independent Review Officer.
- The Safety Camera Partnership’s independent review officer will be the Wiltshire Police Freedom of Information Decision Maker.
Requests for information in relation to the Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership will be dealt with by its Freedom of Information Officer. Any request sent to other partners will be redirected and the reply timescale of 20 working days will only commence when received by the Partnership Freedom of Information Officer.
Requests by post should be addressed to:
Freedom of Information Officer
Safety Camera Partnership
PO Box 3025
Devizes
SN10 9AH
Requests via e-mail should be made to: FOISafetyCameraUnit@wiltshire.police.uk