Our Ref: FOI L0370

Your Ref:

16 July 2008

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Bob MacLean

By Email

Dear Mr MacLean

Thank you for your email of 19 June 2008. I am responding to requests for information contained in your letter.

You asked us the following:

“Please detail total expenditure by the Standards Board for England on Common Purpose courses for each of the following years: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 to date. Please also supply a copy of the invoice for each Common Purpose course paid for by this organisation.”

I shall be grateful if you will note that the Standards Board for England was not formally established until March 2001. I have therefore only been able to search for the information from March 2001 to the date your request was received. I can confirm that the Standards Board for England has not received training from Common Purpose therefore we do not hold any of the records you have requested.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you consider that the decisions set out in this letter are wrong for any reason or have a complaint about the way in which your request for information has been dealt with you should write to Sara Goodwin, Head of Legal Services at the above address. She will undertake a full re-evaluation of your case.

If, following review of the matter by the Head of Legal Services, you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request you have the right under section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

If I can be of further assistance please do contact me.

Thank you for your patience

Yours sincerely

Stephanie Brown

Legal Adviser