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 Mr Carruthers

Thank you for your request. I will be the officer handling your
request and may be contacted by telephone on 01665 511215 should
you have any questions or concerns about your request.

A final decision on your request would normally be sent to you
within 4 weeks. A week is defined in the Act to mean 5 consecutive
weekdays, excluding Saturdays and public holidays (Sundays are also
excluded, as they are not weekdays).

There are some limited situations under the FOI Act which could
mean that the period for a final decision may be longer than the
normal four weeks. If this occurs in the case of your request, I
will promptly advise you by E-mail.

Should our final decision not reach you on time, please feel free
to call me to discuss any problems that may have arisen. If you
have not heard from us once the allotted time has expired, you are
automatically entitled to make a complaint to the Council. This
will be dealt with under the Council's Official Complaints
Procedure. The complaint will be dealt with by a more senior member
of staff of the Council.

In the event that you need to make such a complaint, you can do so
by writing to the Chief Executive, Alnwick District Council,
Allerburn House, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1YY or alternatively
by sending an e-mail to [email address]. You should state
that you are complaining because an initial decision was not sent
to you within the time permitted.

Yours sincerely

Neil J Masson Assistant Solicitor

Dear Neil Masson,

Many thanks for your clarification.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

I am out of the office until Tuesday 13th October. Any queries will be dealt with as soon as possible after my return to work. In the event of any urgent matters including Freedom of Information requests, please contact Andrew Bennett at [email address] (tel. 01665 511316) or Tony Farrell at [email address] (tel:01665 511214)

Dear Mr Carruthers

Can I ask if you received my other message, concerning the IT problem?

Regards

Neil Masson

show quoted sections

Dear Masson, Neil,

Yes I did. I am aware and I would guess 20 days started yesterday.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Further to your freedom of information request please see the attached
documents by way of a reply.

Regards

Neil Masson

<<3.replyattachment.doc>> <<05-06 Members Allow.doc>> <<06-07 Members
Allow.doc>> <<07-08 Members Allow.doc>>

Neil Masson
Assistant Solicitor
Alnwick District Council
Tel: 01665 511215
[Alnwick District Council request email]