3 October 2008

Mr S Hardwicke Carruthers

Via email ([FOI #2918 email])

Our ref: CS/08/0063/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 Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

Request for information

In your email of 7 September, you asked:

1. How many complaints on the LGO database were first opened more than 10 years ago. Which councils are the complaints against and what was the Ombudsman's ruling, and who was the Ombudsman.

2. How many complaints older than a year are still to be determined or have a remedy outstanding, by year and by council. (You also asked for still to be settled, but these would be included in `yet to be determined'.)

In answer to (2) I enclose a separate table listing the number of outstanding complaints by year (period as specified by you) and by council. There are two columns, those where a decision has yet to be made and those where a report has been issued finding maladministration and injustice, where the remedy is still outstanding. In some cases a further report has also been issued.

Can I ask you to clarify your question (1)? I cannot see what relevance answering this question would have. We delete cases from our database once they have been closed for 10 years. So the answer to your question would only cover cases where the complaints was received more than 10 years ago, but the file was closed less than 10 years ago. This would give a very arbitrary dataset. Is this really what you want?

That concludes my response and I hope you find the information useful. If you feel I have not dealt properly with your request, you have the right to appeal and, should you wish to do so, I can supply a copy our internal complaints procedure. You also have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner to determine whether your request has been properly dealt with. You should note however that the Commissioner will not consider any complaint where you have not first exhausted our internal complaints process or where there has been undue delay in contacting him. You will be able to obtain further details of the Information Commissioner's role from the website on www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook (Ms)

Communications and Records Manager

LGO 01 (03/08)