Dear Ms Helland

Request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Thank you for your email received on 4 March 2010 requesting that the following information be provided to you:

“I would like to see copies of all correspondence between former

Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell and Prime Minister

Gordon Brown from the 1st January 2009 until present.”

The Council is treating your request as a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Steven Purcell, former leader of Glasgow City Council and councillor for Ward 14 (Drumchapel/Anniesland) stood down as leader of the council on 2 March 2010 and resigned as a councillor on 5 March 2010.

The Council has subsequently received a large number of requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 seeking information relating to Mr Purcell's resignation. A number of these requests ask for the same, or very similar, information. In the interests of complying with our statutory duty to advise and assist applicants, and in order to put this information into the public domain as efficiently as possible, the Council has grouped the relevant requests for information into related strands. If you have asked for information in a given strand, the response below include all the information we have identified within that strand (apart from information we are withholding for some reason), even if the specific wording of your request might not quite have asked for the specific items in question.

In the interests of openness and transparency, the Council invited the Scottish Information Commissioner to assist with the search for information held by the Council which is covered by these requests. The Commissioner has unfortunately had to decline this invitation, because he must be able to reach an impartial view on the Council's handling of these requests if any of the applicants are unhappy with the response provided and remain unhappy after requesting an internal review by the Council. The Council has also had discussions with the (UK) Information Commissioner's Office regarding some of the requests where there is a significant data protection dimension to the information requested. These discussions have unfortunately delayed the Council's response.

The Council's Internal Audit section were asked to assist in the location and retrieval of relevant information, again in the interests of openness and transparency. Please note that due to the delay mentioned above, the Internal Audit checks have not yet been completed. We do not know if there is anything else to be found, but as our searches continue please be assured that we will proactively notify you of any additional information which comes to light.

Turning to the information you have requested:

I have to advise that based on the searches we have conducted to date, Glasgow City Council does not hold this information.

If you are dissatisfied with the way Glasgow City Council has dealt with your request you are entitled to require the Council to review its decision. Please note that for a review to take place you must:

Executive Director of Corporate Services

Glasgow City Council

City Chambers

George Square

Glasgow G2 1DU

Email: [email address]

You will receive notice of the results of the review within 20 working days of receipt of your request. The notice will state the decision reached by the reviewing officer as well as details of how to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner if you are still dissatisfied with the Council's response. You must request an internal review by the Council before a complaint can be directed to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

If you have any further queries regarding this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Dr Kenneth Meechan

Head of Information Governance

Glasgow - Proud Host City of the 2014 Commonwealth Games