Leave Arrangements for the Queens Funeral

Ref: FOI22104

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST

I am writing to confirm that the West Midlands Fire Service has now completed its search for the information you requested further to your freedom of information request.

Please find below a summary of our findings.

Request

Details of the leave arrangements the Service has (and disclose whether, and when, they are different for firefighters and for other staff) in relation to absence to be in the queue for and to see the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall and for the day of the funeral. Please also disclose within this copies of any communications sent to staff regarding leave in the mourning period

Reply

Please see below

Special leave was not granted specifically to queue or see the late Queen’s coffin at Westminster but some employees may have chosen to use their leave allocation to do this and would be subject to the organisational arrangements for requesting and granting leave and cover arrangements.

The organisation sent a group of 5 employees to represent the service and pay respect at Westminster during the official mourning period. This contingent comprised of operational and support employees.

One employee received an invitation to the Queen’s funeral from the Cabinet Office and was granted special leave to undertake this.

If you have any queries about this Freedom of Information request, please contact us. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

For service complaints, issues or comments regarding this request please contact The Public Relations Department, West Midlands Fire Service, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham, B7 4HW

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following link: https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.