18 June 2014 – 72.2014/15 – Freedom of information request – Costs of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

Request

An accounting of the overall cost, inclusive of salaries, insurances, premises, legal advice, design consultancy, IT-services, utilities and whatsoever other costs incurred that impose an impact on the public purse in running the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire (including the gross costs incurred contingent upon the appointment of the PCC herself) for the period 22nd November 2012 until the end of the 2013/14 financial year.

In simple terms, I would like you to present to me the overall cost to the people of North Yorkshire of having a Police & Crime Commissioner at all. ‘

Response

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire. I can confirm that the Commissioner holds some of the information you have requested.

Decision

There are a number of functions who report either directly to the Commissioner or to the Chief Executive Officer to the Commissioner providing services which support both the delivery of policing in North Yorkshire for the Chief Constable and the Commissioner in undertaking her role. This includes her commissioning responsibilities, professional support services i.e. Legal and Communications, Property and Facilities.

The way in which services are delivered by OPCC and North Yorkshire Police is based on combining roles and functions where possible to retain expertise and bring down costs. Therefore the only real direct comparison to other OPCC areas is likely to be the OPCC direct office due to the innovative approach taken in North Yorkshire.

Separate to the police budget, there is a budget for the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner.
This budget pays for the staffing of the office, engagement activities, audit provision and community safety projects.

Information relating to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget for 2013/14 and 2014/15 is published on the Commissioner’s website.

I have provided you with a link to the published information

https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/commissioner/finances/opcc-budget/

I have therefore not provided the information pursuant to section 21 of the Act.

Section 21 relates to Information Reasonably Accessible By Other Means, an absolute class-based exemption.