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,

Please find attached acknowledgement of your request for information.

Kind regards,

Dunstan Thomas
Records & Information Officer
Corporate ICT / Organisation Development
LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN
3-5 Cressy Road
London
NW3 2ND
T 020 7974 4379
F 020 7974 6192
E [email address]
W http://www.camden.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Dear Thomas, Dunstan,

response overdue

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Carruthers

Please find attached the reply to your Freedom of Information request to
Camden RFI/03463

Please contact me if you have any difficulties in opening the
attachment.

Kind Regards

Michael Warby
Access to Information Officer - FOI & DPA
Organisation Development
London Borough of Camden

Telephone: 020 7974 7857

Roy Shaw Centre
3 - 5 Cressy Road
London NW3 2ND

Web: camden.gov.uk <http://www.camden.gov.uk/>

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Dear Warby, Michael,

Many thanks for your reply and identification that you are able to
answer questions 3 and 6 within the limits (using your numbering).

I would have thought that q1 could also have been added to your
list as I am reasonably sure that the elected representatives would
object. I understand that one of Camden's elected representatives
is now living in the USA and has refused to give up their position
on similar grounds. Q2 is I understand also required to be on
public record.

Q4 should be as a result of a Monitoring Officer report (i.e. as
identified by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989). These are
a matter of record as well. To which should be linked the response
to q5.

Q's 7 should be linked to the Monitoring Officer and their costs.
The Monitoring Officer should have most of the information at their
fingertips if they are to meet their function.

Q8 - It is the responsibilty of the Camden Council's under the 1972
Local Gov Act and also the representation of the People Act to
appoint an Electoral Registration Officer and an Returning Officer.
It is also the duty of the Monitoring Officer to identify with the
Head of Paid Service and s151 if the Council is breaking any laws
and/or codes.

In relation to Q3 Camden is responsible for its own information.
This does not appear to be the same as the LGO's.

Review requested. The Council's identified costs appear excessive,
and appear to be due to a failure to meet records management
guidance, and various codes and/or laws.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Carruthers,

Please find attached an acknowledgment to your request for an internal
review concerning your Freedom of Information request made to Camden.

Please contact me if you have any difficulties in opening the
attachment.

Kind Regards

Michael Warby
Access to Information Officer - FOI & DPA
Organisation Development
London Borough of Camden

Telephone: 020 7974 7857

Roy Shaw Centre
3 - 5 Cressy Road
London NW3 2ND

Web: camden.gov.uk <http://www.camden.gov.uk/>

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<<RS189937.doc>> Dear Mr Carruthers
Please refer to the attached acknowledgement of your application for Internal Review under the FOI Act (application RFI/03463)
Yours sincerely
Peter Swingler
LB of Camden
10/10/08

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Dear Mr Carruthers

Herewith the decision letter of the Internal review panel issued today on your application for internal review
Yours sincerely
Peter Swingler
obo Internal Review Panel
FOI act
LB of Camden
5/11/08
<<RS855266 Carruthers.doc>>

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