25 July 2008

Mr S Hardwicke Carruthers

Via email ([email address])

Our ref: CS/08/0022/HJP

(Please quote our reference when contacting us)

If telephoning contact Hilary Pook on 020 7217 4734

or if using email send to: [email address]

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

Request for information

You asked if any of the Local Government Ombudsmen had ever been employed by Trafford Council, and the answer is no.

I attach a paper that went to the Commission meeting held on 13 February 2007, on changes to the Ombudsmen's areas, and an extract of the minutes of that meeting relating to that paper. The minutes record the reasons for the changes to the Ombudsmen's areas.

No documentation on this subject has been supplied to the Crown, or indeed to any other body.

That concludes my response and I hope you find the information useful. If you feel I have not dealt properly with your request, you have the right to appeal and, should you wish to do so, I can supply a copy our internal complaints procedure. You also have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner to determine whether your request has been properly dealt with. You should note however that the Commissioner will not consider any complaint where you have not first exhausted our internal complaints process or where there has been undue delay in contacting him. You will be able to obtain further details of the Information Commissioner's role from the website on www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook (Ms)

Communications and Records Manager

LGO 01 (03/08)