2009/10 Service Charges: Admin

Dear Tower Hamlets Homes Limited,

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I
am outlining my query as specifically as possible.

I request full and comprehensive breakdown of all actual costs
incurred as part of the administration charge, including staff and
non-staff cost centres, broken down into as much detail as you
hold.

Information you hold could include, but is not restricted to,
training documents or emails, exports from accounting software,
line items of costs, the apportionment between leasehold and
tenant, the basis for that apportionment, and which costs to
account for in which cost centre.

Comprehensive information from the management accounts about all
cost centres and all apportionments which relate to the
administration charge, including staff workload assessments for the
most recent year available.

At the very least, these should apportion the charges as mentioned
on p7 of the “Leaseholder Focus” edition that arrived with the
2008/9 actual service charges. If that information is not
available, you should describe which of the aspects of the service
charge lies behind each cost centre and/or job description.

I would be interested in any information held by your organisation
regarding my request. I understand that I do not have to specify
particular files or documents and that it is the department's
responsibility to provide the information I require. If you need
further clarification, please contact me at this email address.
This request covers all blocks and estates managed by Tower Hamlets
Homes.

I would like to receive the information in open semantic electronic
form. (PDF is not open.)

Please provide tables, particularly very big ones, in an electronic
format that preserves both the machine-readable and human readable
information. Tables, for example, could be in XML, CSV, or Open
Document spreadsheet formats. This should also take less time for
you to prepare: you presumably already have the information on
computers. WhatDoTheyKnow.com lets you upload files. Google
documents offer one way of sharing spreadsheets publicly.

In the long run, I encourage you to provide this data on your
website. Data.gov.uk has information for public bodies about
releasing data:
http://data.gov.uk/resources

If my request is denied in whole or in part, I ask that you justify
all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act. I
will also expect you to release all non-exempt material. I reserve
the right to appeal your decision to withold any information or to
charge excessive fees.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as outlined
by the statute.

Yours faithfully,

Ian McDonald