Claire Blades Date: 21^st October 2009

Email: [FOI #18706 email] Our ref: FOI.09.5260

Dear Ms Blades

Freedom of Information Request

I refer to your recent Freedom of Information Request. Your request asked for the following information: -

Your request

Graham Badman's review of Elective Home Education the Government is planning to introduce legislation to register monitor and support home educated children. This legislation will have financial and staffing impacts upon local authorities, the Government has made it clear that no extra funding will be made available to local councils to fulfil their new responsibilities.

(a) Has it been formally discussed by the committees of elected councillors responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department?

(b) Has it been formally discussed by the officers responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department?

(c) Have the committees responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department taken part in the Government consultation into the proposed legislation, which ends on 19 October 2009?

(d) Have the un-elected local authority officers responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department taken part in the Government consultation into the proposed legislation, which ends on 19 October

2009?

(e) If the councillors or officers have not taken part in the consultation, are they planning to do so?

Council's response

I can confirm the following information with regards to your FOI request above.

(a) Has it been formally discussed by the committees of elected councillors responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department?

Responses to consultations of this type are not usually discussed in committee meetings. In these cases, the norm is for specialist council officers and practitioners to assemble a response, which is discussed by the Directorate Management Team, which includes an elected member.

(b) Has it been formally discussed by the officers responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department?

Yes. Home education was discussed at the Directorate Management Team meeting (which includes the elected councillor with responsibility for children & young people) in preparing the consultation response. Specialist council officers have also discussed it in the course of their usual meetings and duties in order to establish the content of the response.

(c) Have the committees responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department taken part in the Government consultation into the proposed legislation, which ends on 19 October 2009?

(d) Have the un-elected local authority officers responsible for education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant department taken part in the Government consultation into the proposed legislation, which ends on 19 October

2009?

(c) and (d) - The response is drafted by specialist council officers, who work closely with members through the Lead Member. The response to the Badman Review has been made.

(e) If the councillors or officers have not taken part in the consultation, are they planning to do so?

n/a - see above.

I hope this information is of assistance to you.

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Information Commissioner's office (ICO)

Should you remain dissatisfied, you can appeal against our final decision by writing to the Information Commissioner to have your case independently reviewed.

The Information Commissioner is the Government's Independent Body responsible for overseeing the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

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The ICO's contact details are as follows: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF. More information can be found on the ICO's website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.

If you have any further queries about this matter then please do not hesitate to contact me on the number below:

Yours sincerely

Peter Cutts

Head of Social Inclusion and Achievement

Tel: 0191 424 7697

Email: [email address]