Thursday 12 August 2010
Dear Ms Sykes
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, we have now processed your
request.
Figures relating to overdue charges (fines) going back beyond April 2007 are
archived and will take much longer for us to access. We have supplied figures
from April 2007 to the end of 2009 in the first instance. If these meet the
requirements and you are satisfied that these are the type of figures you need
then we will go back into the archived files and answer the questions for the
earlier period in line with our answers to questions 1-3 below.
1 Please advise number of library fines imposed period 2005-2009.
Answer - The number of overdue charges (fines) imposed from 6/4/07 to
31/12/09 was 1,887,451. Please note this is the total number of overdue charges
imposed during this time period and does not indicate the number of loans that
have incurred an overdue charge. One item on loan to one customer can incur
more than one charge. If an item is overdue but then renewed rather than
returned and then becomes overdue again and then returned, it will incur 2
separate overdue charges
2. Number paid -
Answer – We are not able to run a report specifically on the overdue charges
issued from 6/4/07 to 31/12/09. The only way we could obtain this information
would be to go through each of the 1,887,451 records manually, a task that
would greatly exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of 18 hours of work, as defined by the
Freedom of Information & Data Protection (Appropriate Limit & Fees)
Regulations 2004
Although we cannot provide this specific information, we can state that in the
period from 6/4/07 to 31/12/09 the number of overdue charges paid was
1,367,071. Some of the overdue charges paid in this period may have been
imposed prior to 6/4/07.
3. Number unpaid
Answer – We are unable to provide this information within the ‘appropriate limit’
for the same reasons stated in our answer to question 2. As we cannot state
how many of the overdue charges imposed between 6/4/07 and 31/12/09 were
paid without exceeding the ‘appropriate limit’, we cannot simply deduct that figure
FOI Response – 12 August 2010
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from the total number imposed to state how many were unpaid. Again, the only
way we could obtain this information would be to go through each of the
1,887,451 records manually.
Please note, information provided from this point onwards relates to the period
2005-2009.
4. Number of prosecutions
Answer – 32 County court claims have been issued
5. Of the number in 4. Number successful.
Answer – 14 successful. Our Legal Services Department has been minded to
treat the determining factor of "successful" as being a judgment that currently has
been paid by at least 50% (i.e. it is common for judgments to be paid by
instalments).
6. Number unsuccessful.
Answer- This depends again on definition of ‘unsuccessful’. Based on the
definition used to answer Q5, the answer currently would be 18 although this
figure could change if additional payments are made in future.
7. Amount outstanding
Answer – there is £20,054.20 outstanding.
8. Amount recovered through the courts or otherwise
Answer - £3,409.84 has been recovered through the courts
As you can see not many cases get as far as being brought to court and a
number of steps are taken before that to recover overdue charges and overdue
items. These include letters, phone calls from our stock recovery officer (SRO),
and visits from external debt recovery agencies. Our SRO makes over 100 calls
a week, and also uses email and texting to remind borrowers to bring items back.
In the period from 2005-2009 £460,000 worth of overdue charges and
replacement stock has been recovered by the SRO. We cannot differentiate how
much of this is overdue charges and how much of it is charges for replacing lost
items.
FOI Complaints procedure
You have the right of appeal through the Council's internal complaints procedure
by setting out the grounds of your appeal in writing to the Corporate Freedom of
Information Officer at: Freedom of Information & Data Protection Unit, The
Archive Centre, Martineau Lane,
Norwich, NR1 2DQ. e-mail: [Norfolk County Council request email].
Telephone: 01603 222661
FOI Response – 12 August 2010
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If you are dissatisfied after pursuing the complaints procedure, you may apply to
the Information Commissioner under Section 50 of the Act for a decision whether
your request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the
requirements of Part I of the Act. Contact details as follows: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF. e-mail: [email address] Telephone 01625 545 745.
Yours sincerely
Matthew Smith
FOI and Data Protection Assistant
FOI Response – 12 August 2010
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