Council Functions

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

Dear Gascoigne, Paddy,

As the information requested is all reasonably basic management
information that should be easily and readily accessible - would
you identify which areas are not monitored and subject to
management control (i.e. accessing the data causes problems).

Yours sincerely,

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

Dear Gascoigne, Paddy,

Many thanks for your reply.

It is noted that the Blyth valley Council is not aware of what the
elected representatives actually do. The total time spent by all
elected representatives at Council meetings would be sufficient as
you identify that this information is held and readily accessible.

The costs associated with the employment of the elected
representatives would be appreciated. You identify that this
information is held, and readily accessible.

Other items of information you identify are held and are readily
accessible.

The costs of maintaining a complaints system you identify the
Council does not hold. It is noted that the LGO examines
administrative fault in relation to complaints systems and that
they are unable to examine the merits of decisions made by either
Council lawyers and/or elected representatives in relation to
complaints. This raises as you will be aware important issues about
accountability and legal professional privilege. The Council is
itself responsible for its complaints system not the LGO (and this
encompases both the merits of its decisions and the administration
issues).

The merits of decisions are easily identified. It appears that
quite a number of Council solicitors appear to have problems with
ensuring that an Electoral Registration and Returning Officer are
actually appointed by Council's.. as elected.. According to your
Web site there has been a new council elected. However, there
appears to have been no appointment of either an Electoral
Registration Officer or returning Officer by the current Council.
You will understand my confusion!

If you beleive that the Council has been properly appointed and has
a functioning complaints system. This is easily demonstrated by
identification that the elected representatives have appointed and
reaffirmed the appointment of the Electoral registration and
returning Officer.. if they were appointed by a different Council..
then it must I anticipate be agreed that the officers are
unaccountable.. as there is no linkage between the political and
administrative process. Could you identify if this is the case in
Blyth Valley.

Hopefully, this provides any required clarification.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS