04 April 2016 – 1101.2015-16 – Freedom of information request – Expenditure of the OPCC

Request

For each year since January 2013, I would like to know how much the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner spent on:

1. Temporary staff
2. Hospitality
3. Redecoration/refurbishment of office space
4. Travel expenses broken down into mileage claims, and claims for taxis, trains, and any air travel
5. Maintenance of disused buildings

Response

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were carried out within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by the OPCC.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you.

1. 1. 	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
      Cost of Temporary Staff	£0	£17,592	£17,298

      Temporary employees were contracted to aid in the transition between permanent members of staff. Currently there are no members of staff within the office who are on fixed term contracts and all are permanent employees.

      The above costs mostly relate to temporary Personal Assistants whose role is crucial within the OPCC.

   2. Please see the table below for the costs the OPCC spent on Hospitality for each complete financial year beginning 2012-13. Please note that the only Hospitality costs retrievable were organisational refreshment costs.
      

      	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
      Cost of Hospitality	£354	£769	£180

      The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) occasionally supports hospitality costs for volunteers, however these costs are not identified separately. Events and groups which the Commissioner has supported in the past include Neighbourhood Watch and Independent Custody Visitors.

      There was also a bulk purchase of tea and coffee to be used at public events when the need arises. All expenses are published on the Commissioner’s website; https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/commissioner/finances/expenses/

   3. In relation to office refurbishment costs, the OPCC moved to Granby Road in July 2013, however the rental agreement ended on the previous property in Melmerby in August 2013. The large majority of IT equipment used by the OPCC, excepting 4 monitors and desktops, was inherited from North Yorkshire Police. No carpets or blinds were purchased following the move to Granby Road. Some of the furniture was from existing North Yorkshire Police stock, with other items recycled from the previous occupants of the building. Any decorating costs are included in the below figures;
      

      Refurbishment Type	Cost
      Reactive Maintenance	£1,111.96
      Trade Waste	£217.50
      Cost of Cutting Keys	£30.00
      Key Cabinet	£89.00
      IT equipment	£596.96
      Total	£2045.52

      Any additional equipment that has been purchased is itemised on the PCC website; https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/commissioner/finances/expenses/

      For details of any other costs you may wish to refer to the response to FOI request 866&966.2015-16 published on the OPCC website; https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/foi/disclosure-log/16-march-2016-866966-2015-16-freedom-information-request-opcc-contracts/

   4. Any OPCC travel expenses are published on the PCC website which can be accessed by the following hyperlink; https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/commissioner/finances/expenses/
   5. For each year since January 2013 the OPCC has spent £0 on the maintenance of disused buildings.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data. It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.