Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers
Legal & Democratic Services
Via Email
Direct Line – 020 7525 7511
[FOI #2230 email]
Fax – 020 7525 7675
[Southwark Borough Council request email]
26 August 2008
Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers
Re: Your request for information: Ref No. FOI 3088
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 26 August 2008 in which
you requested:
“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:
1 directly resolving complaints against the executive (Council
Staff) of the Council by residents; 2 sitting on committee's; 3
acting for the political parties that they represent and/or
ceremonial duties (i.e. all time not spent on sitting on a
Committee or resolving a complaint against the executive);
The total time spent by an elected representative for a Council on
these three activities should be 100 per cent of the time they
spend 'working for a Council' as an elected representative.
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
there was no wrong-doing by the Executive. How many staff employed
Legal & Democratic Services, Floor 3 ,Town Hall, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UB
Switchboard - 020 7525 5000
Website - www.southwark.gov.uk
Chief Executive – Annie Shepperd
by your authority in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 ceased to
be employed by your authority as a direct result of a complaint
against the Executive, and the Councillors identifying this to be
the case.
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 L cal
o
ribunal or similar bod
Government Ombudsman, Valuation T
y) 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 ye
ons
ar) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's recommendati
have been met in full (including any non-financial recommendations
for each year)). Please detail any recomme
t been
ndation that has no
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 insu
rance 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, 20
er
06/2007 and 2007/2008 and the numb
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 autho
,
rity
as well as any pay increase (including increments) made to the
ling
Council's Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) in pounds ster
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
Legal & Democratic Services, Floor 3 ,Town Hall, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UB
Switchboard - 020 7525 5000
Website - www.southwark.gov.uk
Chief Executive – Annie Shepperd
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.”
Your request is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and you will
receive a response within 20 working days of the date that we received your request.
The Act defines a number of exemptions that may restrict the release of the requested
information. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply
then the information may not be released. You will be informed if this is the case,
including your rights of appeal.
The information provided will be in English, normal font size. If you require alternative
formats, e.g. other language, audio, large print, etc. please notify us.
Further information on the Freedom of Information Act is available through the
Information Commissioner at the:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
Internet: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Yours sincerely,
Janet McDonald
Corporate Access to Information Officer
Legal & Democratic Services
Legal & Democratic Services, Floor 3 ,Town Hall, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UB
Switchboard - 020 7525 5000
Website - www.southwark.gov.uk
Chief Executive – Annie Shepperd
