Dear Ms Thompson

FOI internal review

Further to your Freedom of Information complaint of 20 March. Please find below my response on behalf of Lambeth Council.

Firstly, in your Complaint you said that you made your request on 14 February but had received no response. I would like to apologise for the fact that you did not receive a response to your initial request; this is unacceptable and officers have been reminded of the need to respond to FOI requests within 20 working days.

You have requested access to the following information:

1. A copy of the Youth Support Service Review 2008/09, which relates to processes, procedures and controls in place for the administration of the LDA and PAYP grants by the Youth Service Team.

2. Confirmation if the two Senior officers upon their resignations received a payout settlement from Lambeth council?

In response to both parts of your request I should advise that I am not prepared to disclose the information on the following grounds:

In respect of the youth support service audit report I am claiming the exemption provided by section 36 which applies where disclosure would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs. This particular exemption also requires me to consider the public interest in disclosure as against the public interest in maintaining the exemption. Whilst I can see that there is a general public interest in being open and transparent in relation to audits and their findings, in this instance I believe that the public interest would favour the maintaining of the exemption, as premature disclosure of the audit report and its findings is likely to prejudice the implementation of solutions, as my department needs time to fully consider, implement and test recommendations away from the public gaze.

In relation to the second part of your request I am not prepared to confirm or deny whether a settlement was reached with the two officers as I believe that disclosure of this information would breach the individual's rights to privacy under the Data Protection Act 1998. In refusing this part of your request I am relying on the exemption provided by section 40(2) which applies where disclosure under FOI would breach the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

Should you be dissatisfied with this response, you do have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner (the independent regulator of the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts).

The Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Enquiry line: 01625 545745

Yours sincerely

Phyllis Dunipace

Executive Director Children & Young People's Service

London Borough of Lambeth

Executive Director's Office E-Mail [email address]

Children & Young People's Service Telephone 020 7926 9007

7th Floor, International House Facsimile 020 7926 9778

Canterbury Crescent www.lambeth.gov.uk

London SW9 7QE

London Borough of Lambeth

Executive Director's Office E-Mail [email address]

Children & Young People's Service Telephone 020 7926 9007

7th Floor, International House Facsimile 020 7926 9778

Canterbury Crescent www.lambeth.gov.uk

London SW9 7QE