council functions

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS made this Freedom of Information request to Suffolk County Council

The request was successful.

From: Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

24 August 2008

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to know the average proportion of time the elected
representatives of your authority spend as part of their duties for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 on their main activities. The
activities that form their duties (employment) as an elected
representative are:

1 directly resolving complaints against the executive (Council
Staff) of the Council by residents;
2 sitting on committee's;
3 acting for the political parties that they represent and/or
ceremonial duties (i.e. all time not spent on sitting on a
Committee or resolving a complaint against the executive);

The total time spent by an elected representative for a Council on
these three activities should be 100 per cent of the time they
spend 'working for a Council' as an elected representative.

I would additionally like to know how much in total was paid to
local councillors to meet all their duties (including expenses) for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 by your authority, and how many
elected representatives are (and were) represented on your
authority for these years.

I would also like to know how many Complaints in total were
submitted to your Council in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 for
each year. I would further like to know how many of these
complaints were formally considered by an elected representative
for each of these years.

I would further like to know how many complaints against the
Executive (Council staff) led to the elected representatives
formally identifying that the Executive had acted wrongly for the
years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, and how many of these
formal determinations by the elected representatives identify that
there was no wrong-doing by the Executive. How many staff employed
by your authority in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 ceased to
be employed by your authority as a direct result of a complaint
against the Executive, and the Councillors identifying this to be
the case.

I would further like to know how much money the Council has paid to
a complainant (i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through its
own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local
Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

I would like to know how much money either in the form of local
settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration
causing injustice the Local Government Ombudsman has recommended
that your Council pay in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 (for
each year) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's recommendations
have been met in full (including any non-financial recommendations
for each year)). Please detail any recommendation that has not been
met in full and provide a copy of the Elected representatives
decision. Please additionally identify if these costs were met
directly by Council Tax Payers or the Council's insurers (excluding
self insurance by a Council)

Finally, please provide details of the financial cost of
administering all your complaints systems (including FoI and DP) by
the Executive for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the number
of staff employed in administering complaints and resolving these
(Full time equivalent staffing levels). Please also provide details
of your total administrative costs for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and
2007/2008 and the total number of staff employed by your authority,
as well as any pay increase (including increments) made to the
Council's Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) in pounds sterling
for each of these years. Please additionally identify if the Chief
Executives wages included performance related payments.

If you do not have this reasonably basic management information
related to complaints and/or identify that the costs of accessing
the information requested will be more than £450 please state this
and identify that your Authority does not have either a functioning
or accountable complaints system, and does not maintain any basic
management information related to this issue.

If you have a complaints system not fit for purpose please identify
which political party currently controls your Council, and if this
political party has appointed the current Electoral Registration
and Returning Officer through its control of the Council (with date
of their formal appointment). Please name the current Electoral
Registration and Returning Officer, and identify if they are also
Head of Paid Service, and Clerk to your Authority. Please
additionally provide any documentation maintained by your Local
Authorities Head of Paid Service identifying that they personally
do not believe it to be appropriate for your Council to have a
complaints system that is fit for purpose. This documentation
should be in existence due to the provisions of s4 of the Local
Government Act 1989.

Yours faithfully

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

Link to this

From: FOI Helpdesk

26 August 2008

Dear Mr Carruthers

Thank you for your Freedom of Information Request received on 26 August
2008 regarding council functions.

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, and has been given the reference FOI 1319. Please
quote this reference if you need to contact us further.

Kindest regards

Luitha Tamaya
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 5PG

Tel: 01473 264618
Email: [email address]
<[1]mailto:[email address]>
Web: www.suffolkcc.gov.uk <[2]http://www.suffolkcc.gov.uk>

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.suffolkcc.gov.uk/

Link to this

From: Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

28 September 2008

Dear FOI Helpdesk,

response overdue

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Link to this

From: Linda Goldsmith

19 October 2008

Attachment Completed Response 1319 2.doc
46K Download View as HTML

Dear Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers,

Please except our sincere apologises for the delay experienced in
responding to your request but it was very lengthy and it has taken
considerable time for us to collate a suitable response. At present, we
still have one of your questions outstanding but the answer will follow
within the next few days.

If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information, you
should use the standard complaints process for the council, details of
which can be accessed through the following link:
[1]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo....
If you are unable to access our website for any reason please telephone us
and we will be happy to send you a form. If you are not content with the
outcome of the internal review, you have a right to apply direct to the
Information Commissioner for a decision.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Wycliff House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone (01625) 545700.

Information supplied in response to any Freedom of Information Act
request may be subject to copyright. A single copy of information supplied
under the Freedom of Information Act may only be used for personal,
non-commercial research or study, unless stated otherwise. It must not be
passed to others, copied or re-published in whole or in part without
permission from the copyright owner. Any other use requires written
permission from the copyright holder. Any copyright statement that forms
part of or in any way refers to the information provided must not be
altered or removed. If you have any queries about this email, please
contact me quoting the FOI reference number 1319.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your
own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for
the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for example commercial
publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most
documents supplied by Suffolk County Council will have been produced by
local government staff and will be copyright of the council. Information
you receive which is not subject to the council's copyright continues to
be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which
the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission
before reproducing any third party information.

We hope this information meets with your approval.

Kind Regards,

Linda Goldsmith
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
Russell Road
Ipswich
Suffolk IP1 2BX
Tel:- 01473 264618
Email:- [2][email address]

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...
2. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]

Link to this

From: Linda Goldsmith

13 November 2008

Dear Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers,

Please find attached the outstanding aspect of your freedom of information
request:-

I would further like to know how much money the Council has paid to a
complainant (i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through its own
complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local Government
Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and
2007/2008.

  
Amount
Year Settled

2005/06 £176,908

2006/07 £153,976

2007/08 £49,641

Please accept our apologises for the delay in providing this information.

Kind Regards,

Linda Goldsmith

Senior Audit Services Manager

Audit Services

Scrutiny and Monitoring Specialist Support Function

Endeavour House

8 Russell Road, Ipswich,

Suffolk, IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264248

Fax: 01473 216825

Email: [email address]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Linda Goldsmith
Sent: 19 October 2008 14:41
To: '[FOI #2245 email]'
Subject: Freedom of Information Request (1319)

Dear Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers,

Please except our sincere apologises for the delay experienced in responding to
your request but it was very lengthy and it has taken considerable time for us to
collate a suitable response. At present, we still have one of your questions
outstanding but the answer will follow within the next few days.

If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information, you should
use the standard complaints process for the council, details of which can be
accessed through the following link:
[1]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo....
If you are unable to access our website for any reason please telephone us and we
will be happy to send you a form. If you are not content with the outcome of the
internal review, you have a right to apply direct to the Information Commissioner
for a decision.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Wycliff House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone (01625) 545700.

Information supplied in response to any Freedom of Information Act request may be
subject to copyright. A single copy of information supplied under the Freedom of
Information Act may only be used for personal, non-commercial research or study,
unless stated otherwise. It must not be passed to others, copied or re-published
in whole or in part without permission from the copyright owner. Any other use
requires written permission from the copyright holder. Any copyright statement
that forms part of or in any way refers to the information provided must not be
altered or removed. If you have any queries about this email, please contact me
quoting the FOI reference number 1319.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any
non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any
other reuse, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of
the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by Suffolk County Council will have
been produced by local government staff and will be copyright of the council.
Information you receive which is not subject to the council's copyright continues
to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the
information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before
reproducing any third party information.

We hope this information meets with your approval.

Kind Regards,

Linda Goldsmith
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
Russell Road
Ipswich
Suffolk IP1 2BX
Tel:- 01473 264618
Email:- [2][email address]

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...
2. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Suffolk County Council only: