Dear Paul Ashby

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

With reference to your request for information, I have dealt with this in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

You have requested the number of employees dismissed from the City of Edinburgh Council for abuse of email or the internet.

The City of Edinburgh Council recognises the need to enforce rules in a fair and consistent manner and has a formal written Disciplinary Code and Procedure. The Code and Procedure are fully compliant with current employment legislation and the best practice guidelines issued by ACAS and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

In line with the Code and Procedure individual Heads of Department will monitor the management of discipline in a manner consistent with their specific operational and administrative requirements. There has however been no operational need or corporate reporting requirement to produce aggregate statistics on the number of employees dismissed for inappropriate use of email or the internet and consequently none exist.

The City of Edinburgh Council came into existence in April 1996. In order to ascertain if anyone has been dismissed for misuse of email or the internet since that date it would be necessary to manually interrogate the disciplinary files of all the employees who have been dismissed during the 13 year life of the Council. This task cannot be carried out within the cost constraints prescribed under Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and I am unable to supply the information you have requested.

Please let me know if you require clarification or further information.

If you are not happy with the way your request has been dealt with you have the right to appeal within forty days of receipt by writing to the Director of Corporate Services, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG. If after receiving a response from the Director of Corporate Services you remain dissatisfied, you have six months within which you may ask the Scottish Information Commissioner to conduct a review of our decision. You can contact him at: Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

For further information on the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, please phone us on 0131 200 2340 or visit our Website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/foi.

Yours sincerely

FOI Officer

Corporate Services

City of Edinburgh Council

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