9 April 2010

Mr S Hardwicke Carruthers

Via email ([FOI #30346 email])

Our ref: CS/10/026/HJP

(Please quote our reference when contacting us)

If telephoning contact Hilary Pook on 020 7217 4734

or if using email send to: h.pook@lgo.org.uk

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

Request for information

In your email of 8 March, you asked for details of the results of the consultation with local authorities on publishing statements of reasons. You also ask for all documentation identifying why the LGO has failed to meet its commitment to publish statement of reasons by October 2009 and details of any documents identifying when this service is to go live.

All the information you request is available in a paper that went to the October meeting of the Commission - CLA 1740 - and the minute of the discussion of that paper. Both can be found at http://www.lgo.org.uk/about-us/governance/meetings-commission-2009/.

The results of the consultation exercise are set out in the paper. The minutes record that a decision on how the approach to the publication of statements of reasons was deferred to allow for the consideration of different approaches. That process is ongoing, so we do not yet have a date for when `this service is to go live'.

That concludes my response. 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. If you do request an internal review - can you please indicate why you are unhappy with my response. 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

Hilary Pook

Communications and Records Manager

LGO 01 (03/08)