Dear Sir or Madam,

It has come to my attention that an organisation known as Common
Purpose, and registered as a charity, holds courses for which
charges are made. Several Local Authorities and Police Authorities
have been accused of making payments using taxpayers money to send
officials on such courses. I require to know whether Rother
District Council has made any payments to Common Purpose, or to any
organisation associated with it, and the amounts involved, for each
year since 2000.

Yours faithfully,
A N Eastwood

I am now out of the office - I hope to be back Wednesday 26th.

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Dear Mr Eastwood
I refer to your email. A request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 must include an address for correspondence. This is required by S.8(1)b. Could you therefore please supply a postal address, even if you require a response by email. I cannot progress your request until I receive this information.

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Dear Mr Eastwood
I refer to my email of 25 March in which I request a full postal address
as required by S.8(1)b of the Act. I do not appear to have received a
response. I will start processing your request when this information is
received.

Lynda Crawford
Admin Assistant
01424 787835
www.rother.gov.uk

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Dear Lynda Crawford,

I am currently out of the country, and am not going to post my home
address on a public website, if you send me a direct e-mail
address, I will reply, bur note that I do not always have a
workable internet connection.

Yours sincerely,
A. N. Eastwood.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Further to my earlier message I now note that the Act does not
require a postal address to be provided. An e-mail address is
sufficient. Please therefore reply to my request.

Yours sincerely, A. N. Eastwood

Dear Mr Eastwood, you must still provide an "address for correspondence"
if you wish us to process your request. Please note, however, that WE
will not post your address on a public web site; we regard the details
of people who make requests for information as protected under the Data
Protection Act 1998.

The problem may be that instead of contacting us direct, which is the
usual process, you are coming to us through a web site "what do they
know". As we, in common with all other local authorities, government
departments etc maintain a full web site, with a clearly sign posted
"freedom of information" section, I fail to see what practical purpose
this amateurish web site serves, but if you choose to use it and they
publish your address to the public, that is your decision.

Regards,
David.
David Edwards
Legal Services Manager, Rother D.C.
Town Hall, Bexhill TN39 3JX Tel: 01424-787840
www.rother.gov.uk

P please consider the environment, and do not print this email unless it
is really necessary

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Dear David Edwards,
There is a very good reason for using this website, and that is
that replies are published on it. You do have an e-mail address,
which is an "address for correspondence". I am becoming both
puzzled and irritated that Rother District Council appears to be
devoting more effort to avoiding answering a simple question, than
it would take to answer it.
Unless the council has forgotten that it is the servant of council
tax payers like me, and not the other way round,or has something to
hide,I cannot see the pointof this prevarication.

Yours sincerely,
A. N. Eastwood

Dear Mr Eastwood

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

With reference to your request received on 04 April 2008 about courses run
by Common Purpose, I confirm that the Council has not sent any employees
or Members on any such course and therefore no payments have been made in
this respect.

You may use our internal complaints procedure if you are dissatisfied. If
you are still dissatisfied you may appeal to the Information
Commissioner. Please contact Anne Bruin, Customer Services Manager, if
you wish to complain.

David Edwards
Legal Services Manager
01424 787840
www.rother.gov.uk

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