Track this request
Act on what you've learnt
Similar requests
Response by Local Government Ombudsmen to Trevor R Nunn on 6 October 2008.
Request to Local Government Ombudsmen by Trevor R Nunn. Annotated by Trevor R Nunn on 22 September 2009.
Request to Local Government Ombudsmen by Trevor R Nunn. Annotated by Trevor R Nunn on 22 September 2009.
Cost of investigating a complaint
A Freedom of Information request to Local Government Ombudsmen by Trevor R Nunn
The request was successful.
Trevor R Nunn
11 September 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to know on what date,
1) the Commission for Local Administration in England started to
factor in the likely cost of an investigation into their decision
whether to investigate a complaint or not?
2) you made the department of Communities and Local Government
aware that you were no longer deciding to investigate complaints
based on merit alone?
3) you made complainants aware that the decision to investigate
their complaint would no longer be made on merit alone?
Yours faithfully,
Trevor Nunn
T Thomas left an annotation (12 September 2009)
You appear to have identified that complainants need to suffer a substantial amount of injustice through a serious act of council maladministration that can be investigated on the cheap before the LGO will agree to investigate their complaint. That can't be right can it?
Foi Officer
Local Government Ombudsmen
16 September 2009
Dear Mr Nunn
Our ref: CS/09/096
This is to acknowledge receipt of your request below.
I have given it the reference number above, and it would be helpful if you could quote this on any further correspondence about this matter.
We will respond within the 20 working day target (which would be by 9 October 2009) or, if unable to do so, we will write to you again explaining why.
Yours sincerely
Rob Rundle
Publicity & Information Assistant
Local Government Ombudsman' office
Tel: 020 7217 4686
Website: www.lgo.org.uk<http://www.lgo.org.uk>
show quoted sections
Anne Hide left an annotation (25 September 2009)
My blog on the subject
http://lgowatcher.blogspot.com/2009/09/l...
Anne Hide left an annotation (29 September 2009)
Sorry I copied and pasted the link and text above from another of Trevor's FOI requests. The blog is not mine but Trevor Nunn's. Although I agree with most of what he says.
Trevor R Nunn left an annotation (30 September 2009)
Thank you for linking this FOI request to my blog. It's usually Francis of the WDTK team who does so when I forget.
Foi Officer
Local Government Ombudsmen
5 October 2009
Dear Mr Nunn
Our ref: CS/09/096
I attach a letter in response to the request below.
Yours sincerely
Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk
NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.
show quoted sections
Trevor R Nunn left an annotation (5 October 2009)
The full story here
http://lgowatcher.blogspot.com/2009/10/l...
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
Trevor R Nunn left an annotation (12 September 2009)
The LGO already use their discretion not to investigate if they don't think a complainant has suffered enough injustice to warrant an investigation.
They also use their discretion not to investigate a complaint if they don't think the maladministration is bad enough to warrant an investigation.
However, it would now appear that they are also using their discretion not to investigate a complaint if it is going to cost them too much money to do so.
Link to this