9 March 2010

Ms T Ezekpo

Via email ([FOI #25107 email])

Our ref: CS/10/022/HJP

(Please quote our reference when contacting us)

If telephoning contact Hilary Pook on 020 7217 4734

or if using email send to: [email address]

Dear Ms Ezekpo

Request for information

Further to your email of 20 February to Angela Thackray, I can now provide further information on the 13 complaints against Camden which resulted from a `keyword' search of our database, on the term `Advice/information misleading/inaccurate' for the period 1 January 2006 - 31 December 2009.

I have conducted a manual review of these 13 cases but, with one exception, the files have all been destroyed and the only remaining documentation we have are the final decision letters. In one case the decision letter is missing.

Five of the complaints were about housing matters. Of these, two were local settlements, two were withdrawn by the complainant and one was outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction.

Of the remaining eight complaints, there were two each of the following outcomes: local settlement, no maladministration, outside jurisdiction and Ombudsman's discretion (no or insufficient injustice).

There was only one case where I could identify an allegation of council officers lying, and this allegation was not upheld. (This was not one of the housing cases).

In six cases, there was no detail in the letter relating to the term `advice/information misleading/inaccurate' (and as mentioned above, one letter is missing).

The remaining five referred to `false information', `misleading information' and `wrong advice'.

In response to your specific questions on the outcomes of these complaints, all these complaints had been considered by an investigative team (ie they were not `premature' complaints), but beyond that, we do not really make a distinction between `investigated' and `not investigated'.

/…

None of the complaints were `upheld' in that there were no formal findings of maladministration, although as noted above, there were four local settlements in all.

As noted above, two of the complaints were considered withdrawn by the complainants and four were local settlements, so the remaining seven could be considered `rejected'.

That concludes my response. I note that you have already applied to the Information Commissioner on this matter, and I will be sending a copy of this letter to his office.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook

Hilary Pook (Ms)

Communications and Records Manager

LGO 01 (03/08)