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Event history details

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Abolition of the Audit Commission

E Ollier made this Freedom of Information request to Department for Communities and Local Government

The request was partially successful.

From: E Ollier

26 August 2010

Dear Department for Communities and Local Government,

Please provide:
1. Evidence of which organisations and individuals you consulted
with regarding whether to abolish the Audit Commission (AC) prior
to 13.8.2010, and copies of their input to the consultation.
2. The minutes of:
a) any meetings at which you discussed the future of the AC since
Eric Pickles became Secretary of State, and any reports, papers or
internal correspondence dealing with this issue (this should
include meetings, papers and correspondence from Cabinet meetings,
meetings between yourself and civil servants, Board members and
Ministerial or other Government colleagues)
b) any meetings at which any civil servants within the Department
for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), discussed the future
of the AC, and any reports, papers or internal correspondence
dealing with this issue
c) any meetings between representatives of government departments –
whether civil servants or Ministers discussed the future of the AC,
and any reports, papers or internal correspondence dealing with
this issue
3. Evidence of all diary appointments which can be retrieved which
discussed the future of the AC.

If any of this information is already in the public domain, please
can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if
necessary.

If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the
grounds of breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with
copies of the confidentiality agreement and remind you that
information should not be treated as confidential if such an
agreement has not been signed.

If you choose to rely on either sections 35 or 36 relating to the
development of government policy or the effective conduct of public
affairs, I would remind you that the Information Commissioner sets
a very high standard of proof that releasing information will
fulfil the criteria of the exemptions when weighed against the
public interest in the information being released.

Yours faithfully,

E Ollier

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

1 September 2010

Dear E. Ollier

Thank you for your email of 27 August 2010 requesting information about
his decision to disband the Audit Commission. Your request was received by
Communities and Local Government on 27 August 2010.

I am considering your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
You should expect to receive a reply by 27 September 2010.

In some circumstances a fee may be chargeable. If that is the case, I will
let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

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

Our Access to Information leaflet on our website at
[1]http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/...
explains how the Department handles formal requests for information. I
hope you will find it useful.

Yours sincerely

Mel Lea
Local Governance
Department for Communities and Local Government
3/J2 Eland House
Bressenden Place
London, SW1E 5DU
0303 444 2641

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/...

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

23 September 2010

Attachment 10 09 24 extension Ollier.doc
138K Download View as HTML

Dear E. Ollier

Thank you for your email of 27 August 2010. Please find attached a reply
to your request.

If you have any further questions about your FOI request, please do not
hesitate to contact me.

Mel Lea
Democracy and Local Governance
Department for Communities and Local Government
0303 444 2641

<<10-09-24 extension - Ollier.doc>>

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Link to this

Armchair Auditor left an annotation (23 September 2010)

It seems that there are a set of requests to DCLG regarding this or similar information, all of which have been subject to two extensions. The stated reason is consideration of whether an exception applies, such that the information need not be disclosed.

Due to the time this is taking, the conclusion must be that the Department is trying its darndest to cook up reasons for refusing disclosure. This obviously takes a lot of time, and therefore taxpayer expense.

It might be worth making a new request asking:

(1) How much time, at what level of seniority, and at what expense, has been spent analysing whether an exception applies in relation to requests for the disclosure of information relating to the abolition of the Audit Commission?
(2) Has external advice been sought about this?
(3) Has the Secretary of State, or a Minister been consulted about these requests? If so, what was his response?

They can hardly complain, armchair auditors in action and all...

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

26 October 2010

Attachment 101025 second extension and partial response Ollier.doc
169K Download View as HTML

Attachment Annex B FOI legsilation.doc
39K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 26.pdf
1012K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 1.pdf
131K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 2.pdf
409K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 3.pdf
530K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 4.pdf
413K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 5.pdf
458K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 6.pdf
1.8M Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Ollier

Thank you for your email request of 26th August requesting information
about the Secretary of State's decision to disband the Audit Commission. I
attach a letter which provides a partial response to this requests and
informs you that a further 20 working days is needed to consider
exemption. There are a number of attachments to this letter.

As the number of attachments is very large, I have split the response into
three emails.
Please Note: I attempted to send this email to you yesterday, to meet the
deadline of 25 October.

<<101025 - second extension and partial response - Ollier.doc>> <<Annex B
- FOI legsilation.doc>>
<<Document 26.pdf>> <<Document 1.pdf>> <<Document 2.pdf>> <<Document
3.pdf>> <<Document 4.pdf>> <<Document 5.pdf>> <<Document 6.pdf>>

Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thanks
Holly

Holly Manktelow
Future of Local Audit

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

26 October 2010

Attachment Document 14.pdf
175K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 15.pdf
183K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 16.pdf
822K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 17.pdf
208K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 18.pdf
335K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 19.pdf
334K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 20.pdf
3.3M Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 21 20100813E066826hthompso.tif
230K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 22.pdf
172K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 23 10 09 08 SoS to The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP National Audit Office.pdf
1.3M Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 24.pdf
318K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 25.pdf
250K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Ollier

Thank you for your email request of 26th August requesting information
about the Secretary of State's decision to disband the Audit Commission. I
attach a letter which provides a partial response to this requests and
informs you that a further 20 working days is needed to consider
exemption. There are a number of attachments to this letter.

As the number of attachments is very large, I have split the response into
three emails. This is the third part of three.

Please Note: I attempted to send this email to you yesterday, to meet the
deadline of 25 October.

<<Document 14.pdf>> <<Document 15.pdf>> <<Document 16.pdf>> <<Document
17.pdf>> <<Document 18.pdf>> <<Document 19.pdf>> <<Document 20.pdf>>
<<Document 21 20100813E066826hthompso.tif>> <<Document 22.pdf>> <<Document
23 10-09-08 - SoS to The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP - National Audit
Office.pdf>> <<Document 24.pdf>> <<Document 25.pdf>>

Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thanks
Holly

Holly Manktelow
Future of Local Audit

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

26 October 2010

Attachment Document 7.pdf
545K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 8.pdf
1.3M Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 9.pdf
1016K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 10.pdf
637K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 11.pdf
523K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 12.pdf
868K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 13.pdf
332K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Ollier

Thank you for your email request of 26th August requesting information
about the Secretary of State's decision to disband the Audit Commission. I
attach a letter which provides a partial response to this requests and
informs you that a further 20 working days is needed to consider
exemption. There are a number of attachments to this letter.

As the number of attachments is very large, I have split the response into
three emails. This is the second part of three.

Please Note: I attempted to send this email to you yesterday, to meet the
deadline of 25 October.

<<Document 7.pdf>> <<Document 8.pdf>> <<Document 9.pdf>> <<Document
10.pdf>> <<Document 11.pdf>> <<Document 12.pdf>> <<Document 13.pdf>>

Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thanks
Holly

Holly Manktelow
Future of Local Audit

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

8 November 2010

Attachment 101105 FINAL RESPONSE Ollier.doc
151K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 1.pdf
250K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 2.pdf
154K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 3.pdf
249K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Ollier

Thank you for your email request of 26th August requesting information
about the Secretary of State's decision to disband the Audit Commission. I
attach a letter which provides a final response to this requests. There
are a number of attachments to this letter.

As the attachments are very large, I have split the response into two.
Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thanks

Holly

Holly Manktelow
Future of Local Audit

<<101105 - FINAL RESPONSE - Ollier.doc>> <<Document 1.pdf>> <<Document
2.pdf>> <<Document 3.pdf>>

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Link to this

From: Mel Lea
Department for Communities and Local Government

8 November 2010

Attachment Document 4.pdf
101K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 5.pdf
95K Download View as HTML

Attachment Document 6.pdf
141K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Ollier

Thank you for your email request of 26th August requesting information
about the Secretary of State's decision to disband the Audit Commission. I
attach a letter which provides a final response to this requests. There
are a number of attachments to this letter.

As the attachments are very large, I have split the response into two.
Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thanks

Holly

Holly Manktelow
Future of Local Audit

<<Document 4.pdf>> <<Document 5.pdf>> <<Document 6.pdf>>

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Department for Communities and Local Government only: