FOI - The lying in state and funeral of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II [Feb 2023]

Statement of Responsibility - HM the Queen State Funeral September 2022

The GLA was responsible to deliver on behalf of and funded by the Department of Digital Media and Sport for the Ceremonial Footprint and Hyde Park Screening Sites and Grey Space only.  This was a multi-agency delivered event, however the GLA co-ordinated the overarching London Event Management Plan (EMP) and holds all of this information on file. 

Road and open spaces closures around Buckingham Palace and Westminster at the lying in state and funeral of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II. 

1.    Did the Greater London Authority make the Road and Open Spaces closures for the lying in state of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II, including the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall?

No, the Authority did not make these closures.

2.    Did the Greater London Authority make the Road and Open Spaces closures for the funeral and related processions of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II?

No.

3.    If so, was the Greater London Authority the 'Traffic Authority' for these purposes?

No.

4.    If so, when were the relevant Road Traffic and Open Space measures made and by whom?

These were made by Westminster City Council, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police service depending on the location and were implemented by the event management company.

5.    Are these publicly accessible and if not why not?

The GLA does not hold information on this.

6.    If so, did the measures include provisions for preventing members of the general public from entering the closed roads and open spaces and monitoring and controlling those that had actually entered them?

No.

7.    What were the statutory provisions used for this purpose?

Not applicable.

8.    If the Greater London Authority was the “Traffic Authority” for these purposes and made the relevant Orders, I request to be supplied with copies?

Not applicable.

Security arrangements around Buckingham Palace and Westminster at the lying state and funeral of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II.

1.    Did the Greater London Authority make the decision to employ private security marshals at the entrances to the closed roads and open spaces and in them regarding the lying in state of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II, including the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall? 

The Lying in State was managed by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).

2.    If so, who in the Greater London Authority made the decision to employ private security marshals at the entrances to the closed roads and open spaces and in them regarding the lying in state of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II, including the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall?

The Lying in State was managed and delivered by DCMS.

3.    If so, who in the Greater London Authority made the decision to employ private security marshals at the entrances to the closed roads and open spaces and in them regarding the funeral and funeral processions?

The Lying in State was managed and delivered by DCMS.

4.    If so, are there any Greater London Authority Decisions that decided that private security marshals would be engaged and employed regarding the above two events and if so, I request a copy of the relevant decision or decisions? 

The Lying in State was managed and delivered by DCMS.

5.    At the funeral at Westminster Abbey did the Greater London Authority make the decision that the area immediately opposite the Abbey, and also the processional route from Westminster Hall to the Abbey would not be accessible by members of the public and what were the reasons?

No.

6.    If so, who in the Greater London Authority made the decision that the area immediately opposite the Abbey, and also the processional route from Westminster Hall to the Abbey would not be accessible by members of the public, and what were the reasons? 

Not applicable.

7.    If so, are there any Greater London Authority Decisions relating to this and if so, I request a copy of the relevant decision or decisions?

Not applicable.

8.    If the Greater London Authority engaged a private security company as in question 1, what is the name of the private Security Company that engaged the security marshals for both the Lying in State and Funeral and related processions events?

The Lying in State was managed and delivered by DCMS.  

9.    If the Greater London Authority engaged a private security company as in question 1, did the private security marshals have any special or statutory powers to prevent members of the public from entering the closed road and open spaces or to give members of the public directions where they could go within the closed road and open spaces and if so what were the statutory powers or delegated authority that was given?

No.

10.  If the Greater London Authority engaged a private security company as in question 1, are there any Greater London Authority Decisions relating to this and if so, I request a copy of the relevant decision or decisions?

Not applicable.

11. If the Greater London Authority engaged a private security company as in question 1, what were the costs of engaging the private security company for both of the both the Lying in State and Funeral and related processions events?

We can confirm that the GLA holds information within the scope of your request however this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 22 of the Act (Future Publication). As previously stated The Lying in State was managed and delivered by DCMS.  The GLA was also funded by DCMS so all financial costs associated to its deliverables will be released in due course in conjunction with central government. 

Section 22 provides an exemption for information that is intended to be published in the future. 

Information is exempt if, at the time when the public authority receives a request for it:
- the public authority holds the requested information;
- the public authority intends the information to be published at some future date, whether that date is determined or not; and
- in all the circumstances it is reasonable to withhold the information until its planned publication.

The financial information must be checked and verified before publication. Section 22 acknowledges that authorities must have freedom to be able to determine their own publication timetables. This allows them to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publication. We do not believe the public interest favours the disruption that would be caused by expediting this publication when its early publication would not meet any immediate or exceptional public concerns at the present time.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting reference MGLA041022-0482.