I would like to know the average proportion of time the elected representatives of your authority spend as part of their duties for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 on their main activities. The activities that form their duties employment) as an elected representative are:

I would additionally like to know how much in total was paid to local councillors to meet all their duties (including expenses) for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 by your authority, and how many elected representatives are (and were) represented on your authority for these years.

I would also like to know how many Complaints in total were submitted to your Council in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 for each year. I would further like to know how many of these complaints were formally considered by an elected representative for each of these years.

I would further like to know how many complaints against the Executive (Council staff) led to the elected representatives formally identifying that the Executive had acted wrongly for the years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, and how many of these formal determinations by the elected representatives identify that

I would further like to know how much money the Council has paid to a complainant (i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through its own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

I would like to know how much money either in the form of local settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration causing injustice the Local Government Ombudsman has recommended that your Council pay in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 (for each year) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's recommendations have been met in full (including any non-financial recommendations for each year)). Please detail any recommendation that has not been met in full and provide a copy of the Elected representatives decision. Please additionally identify if these costs were met directly by Council Tax Payers or the Council's insurers (excluding self insurance by a Council)

Finally, please provide details of the financial cost of administering all your complaints systems (including FoI and DP) by the Executive for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the number of staff employed in administering complaints and resolving these (Full time equivalent staffing levels).

Please also provide details of your total administrative costs for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the total number of staff employed by your authority.

As well as any pay increase (including increments) made to the Council's Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) in pounds sterling for each of these years. Please additionally identify if the Chief Executives wages included performance related payments.

If you do not have this reasonably basic management information related to complaints and/or identify that the costs of accessing the information requested will be more than £450 please state this and identify that your Authority does not have either a functioning or accountable complaints system, and does not maintain any basic management information related to this issue.

If you have a complaints system not fit for purpose please identify which political party currently controls your Council, and if this political party has appointed the current Electoral Registration and Returning Officer through its control of the Council (with date of their formal appointment).

Please name the current Electoral Registration and Returning Officer, and identify if they are also Head of Paid Service, and Clerk to your Authority.

Please additionally provide any documentation maintained by your Local Authorities Head of Paid Service identifying that they personally do not believe it to be appropriate for your Council to have a complaints system that is fit for purpose. This documentation should be in existence due to the provisions of s4 of the Local Government Act 1989.

The Council does not hold any recorded information in respect of Part 1 (i), (ii) and (iii) of your request.

Please see attached information in respect of amounts paid to Councillors for the years 05/06, 06/07, 07/08. There are 45 elected Members for each of these years.

Complaints received in 05/06 - 997, 06/07 - 250, 07/08 - 194. The Council does not hold any recorded information in respect of how many complaints were formally considered by an elected representative for each of those years. However, all members receive a copy of the Summary of Statistics relating to complaints.

The Council does not hold any recorded information in respect of this part of your request.

None through the complaints system.

(i) The number of local settlements and payments for the years in question are as follows:-

The Council does not hold recorded information in order to provide you with details of the cost of administering the complaints system. There are 3 administrators and 28 Services Managers who are responsible for administering the complaints system (as a small percentage of their duties). Complaints are forwarded to the relevant Business Unit to be resolved either by the Manager or other members of staff. Please see attached `Customer Comments' leaflet.

The total cost of staffing (monthly paid and including employers contributions) has been calculated at:

The pay increases made to the Chief Executive are as follows:

We have a system but there is no executive breakdown.

We have comprehensive management information available though the complaints system. It is fit for the Council's purpose.

Peter Carney, Chief Executive is the Electoral Registration and Returning Officer and also the Head of Paid Service.

The Council does not hold any recorded information in respect of this part of your request.