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

Our Ref: F08/00154

Your Ref:

This matter is being dealt with by:

Information and Records Officer

Direct Line: 01900 702701

Fax: 01900 702700

Email: [Allerdale District Council request email]

26 August 2008

[FOI #1923 email]

Dear Mr Carruthers

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Information Request

I am writing to acknowledge your request for information received on 23
August 2008.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days, by 22
September 2008, subject to the information not being exempt from
disclosure. If you require the information in an alternative format,
please let me know.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may
prevent the release of the information you have requested. There will be
an assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the
information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the
case, including your rights of appeal.

If you have any further queries or concerns then please contact the
Information and Records Officer at Allerdale Borough Council, Allerdale
House, Workington CA14 3YJ, telephone 01900 702701, or email
[Allerdale District Council request email].

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF,
telephone 01625 545745 or see www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Gilbert

Information and Records Officer

Allerdale Borough Council

Allerdale House

Workington

Cumbria CA14 3YJ

Tel: 01900 702702

Fax: 01900 702507

EMAIL DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this document are those of the individual and
are not necessarily the same as the Council's.

This electronic transmission is only intended for the individual or
entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is
privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not
the intended recipient or employee or agents responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient you are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication and its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you
have received this communication in error please notify us by
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any changes made to this message after it has been sent.

Allerdale Borough Council
Allerdale House
Workington
Cumbria
CA14 3YJ

Web: www.allerdale.gov.uk

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept
for the presence of computer viruses.

Mr Carruthers,

I write in response to your Freedom of Information request, F08.00154,
which asks a number of questions with regard to complaints made to the
Council.

I was wondering if you could clarify what you had in mind with regard to
Question 8: "Provide details of your total administrative costs for
2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08". We were just wanting some idea as to what
you would like us to include in our calculations - ie staffing costs,
photocopying costs etc.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Andrew Gilbert

show quoted sections

Dear Gilbert, Andrew,

Staffing costs

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers

Our Ref: F08/00154

Your Ref:

This matter is being dealt with by:-

Information and Records Officer

Telephone No: (01900) 702701

Fax No: (01900) 702700

Email: [Allerdale District Council request email]

22 September 2008

[FOI #1923 email]

Dear Mr Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information on council complaints and
functions. The request has now been considered and the information
requested is attached. I have answered each question in turn, indicated
with bold type.

I hope this satisfies your enquiry, however if you are dissatisfied with
the information provided please contact the Information and Records
Officer at Allerdale Borough Council, Allerdale House, Workington CA14
3YJ, phone (01900) 702701, email [Allerdale District Council request email].

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF, Telephone: 01625 545745; www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Andrew Gilbert

Information and Records Officer

* Attached: F08.00145 Answers

EMAIL DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this document are those of the individual and
are not necessarily the same as the Council's.

This electronic transmission is only intended for the individual or
entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is
privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not
the intended recipient or employee or agents responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient you are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication and its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you
have received this communication in error please notify us by
telephone and return the original communication and attachments to
us at the e-mail address above. The Council is not responsible for
any changes made to this message after it has been sent.

Allerdale Borough Council
Allerdale House
Workington
Cumbria
CA14 3YJ

Web: www.allerdale.gov.uk

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept
for the presence of computer viruses.