FOI 575/25

REQUEST

1. A list of all -cides used by the Service. This is inclusive of, but not limited to: any and all avicides, biocides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, and rodenticides.
2. The annual cost and volume of purchase of each of these -cides, broken down by -cide, from January 2014 to December 2024. Please list this on a spreadsheet (CSV), broken down by:
1. -Cide
2. Product Name
3. Volume Purchased
4. Price Paid
5. Purchase Date
3. A list of each of these -cides' use, by volume. Through this I am trying to ascertain whether the purchased volume is matched by the used volume, so if there is a record of expired or unused -cides too, that would be ideal. Please add this to the above CSV as an additional column, also on an annual basis over the same time period. Please list volume in either litres or kilograms, whichever is more appropriate.
4. Only if available and easily accessible, the location and purpose of each specific -cide’s use. For the former, this may be classified by: location grouping, address, coordinate, or otherwise.

RESPONSE

Your request for information has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested.       

In relation to your request, the following exemption applies:

Section 12 – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit.

We consulted with our Estates Department who have advised that South Wales Police use external suppliers for the provision of services such as pest control, cleaning, grounds maintenance etc and as such the volume of ‘cides’ purchased is insignificant and where needed, locally procured and not centrally monitored.  The remaining ‘cides’ being purchased by a number of external contractors – all of which are procured on an individual tendering basis – making this request impossible to resolve within the allotted timeframe

Whilst I cannot quantify exactly how long this would take it would most certainly exceed the 18 hours stipulated by the regulations.

It is estimated that the cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the "appropriate level" as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.

In the case of the police service, the appropriate limit is £450 which has been calculated to equate to a total of 18 hours of work.

If any part of the request exceeds the fees limit, then Section 12 applies to the whole request.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.

Excess cost removes the forces obligation under the Freedom of Information Act, however under Section 16 – Duty to provide advice and assistance, an authority is required to offer an applicant the opportunity to redefine their request within the cost limit. Unfortunately, due to the way in which data is recorded, we can see no feasible way in which you could refine your request.