Mr Stuart H Carruthers
Our Ref:
388/320
Date: 18/09/08
Re: Council
Functions
Dear Mr Carruthers,
Further to my earlier letter, I now have responses to your remaining
questions. I believe that I have answered them all but if you think I’ve missed
anything, please do let me know.
Members’
Attendance
I was going to say that we were going to publish this information in due
course but I have now been told that it is available online. The following
link will take to the relevant pages and this information will be published
quarterly
http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/docstore/Council/councillors/info_MembersAtt
endance.pdf. .
Payments made to Complainants
We do not hold this information
Staffing
Information
It is difficult for us to give an exact figure but we have approximately 500
employees made up of around 350 office based and 150 staff carrying out
external services such as refuse, parks, beach staff etc. In addition, we
employ a number of agency staff providing cover, such as maternity cover,
for some posts.
Chief Executive Pay Increases
In line with the exemption under S40(2), we are not prepared to reveal the
actual figures of the Chief Executives pay as we regard this as personal
information, as defined by S1(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998, and the
release of which would contravene the DPA Principles. We can, however,
provide with the yearly percentage increases which were. Lastly, we do not
make performance related payments.
Year %
Increase
2005/06 2.95
2006/07 2.95
2007/08 2.475
Electoral Officers
I’m sorry if I mis-interpreted the original request re election officers. As you
correctly pointed out, the posts of Electoral Registration Officer and
Returning Officer are statutory appointments made by members. We no
longer have a Town Clerk as this was subsumed into the Chief Executive’s
role a number of years ago.
As for the electoral posts, the Council’s Management Committee approved
the selection of the current Chief Executive to be the Returning Officer on
5th April 2005. This was due to the retirement of the existing Returning
Officer and it was agreed that the existing Returning Officer would stay in
post until June 2005 with the Chief Executive taking over on 1st July 2005.
This was because of the General Election in 2005.
As far as the remainder of the last two paragraphs, we consider them to be
pejorative and therefore do not qualify as valid requests. I hope that this
information is of use to you and if there is any other information about the
Council that you would like, please do contact us.
Yours sincerely,
David Sinclair
Freedom Of Information Officer