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 Hardwicke-Carruthers

Thank you for your request for information regarding Council Functions,
which was received 26 August 2008.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires that we deal with requests
such as this promptly and in any event not later than the twentieth
working day following the receipt of the request; in this case the date
is 23 September 2008. If there is a delay or there are costs involved
in providing you with the information I will contact you.

Yours sincerely

Claire Park

Senior Information and Records Officer

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref: FOI
2008-291; FOI 2008-298; FOI 2008-299; FOI 2008-300; FOI 2008-301; FOI
2008-302; FOI 2008-303 & FOI 2008-304

Thank you for your request for information, which was received 26 August
2008. After further consideration you request has been logged as 8
individual requests detailed as follows:

FOI 2008-191:

1. 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:

a) Directly resolving complaints against the executive (Council
Staff) of the Council by residents;

b) Sitting on committee's;

c) 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)

2. 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.

FOI 2008-298:

I would 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.

FOI 2008-299:

I would 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.

FOI 2008-300:

1. I would 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.

2. 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.

FOI 2008-301:

I would 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.

FOI 2008-302:

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)

FOI 2008-303:

1.
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).
2. 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).

a. Please name the current Electoral Registration and
Returning Officer, and identify if they are also Head of Paid Service,
and Clerk to your Authority.
b. 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.

FOI 2008-304:

1. Please 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.
2. Please additionally identify if the Chief Executives wages
included performance related payments.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires that we deal with requests
such as this promptly and in any event not later than the twentieth
working day following the receipt of the request; in each case the date
is 23 September 2008. If there is a delay or there are costs involved
in providing you with the information you will be contacted.

Yours sincerely

Susan E Young

Senior Information Officer

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

Sent on behalf of Nicola Howell

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref 2008-291

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

Sent on behalf of Nicola Howell

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref 2008-304

Thank you for your request for information regarding details of total
administrative costs, received 26 August 2008.

Before your request can be considered, further clarification is needed.
I should therefore be grateful if you would please clarify what you
actually mean by "administrative costs". For example do you mean
administration of employee wages, member/group office administration
support or all expenditure posted to admin codes?

I am unfortunately unable to proceed with your request until I hear from
you.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Freedom Of Information,

Many thanks for your reply, and also for identification that
Cumbria does not as should be expected monitor the activities in
the main of its elected representatives.

My understanding of administrative costs.. are the total costs
associated with staffing the Council.

There are some additional items outstanding.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref FOI
2008-299

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref FOI
2008-304

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwicke-Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref ......

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Hardwick-Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Ref FOI
2008-303

Please find the attached response to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Nicola Howell

Information Manager

Information Team

Adult & Cultural Services

Cumbria County Council

The Courts

Carlisle

CA3 8NA

Tel: 01228 221234

E-mail: [Cumbria County Council request email]

This e-mail contains confidential information (which may also be
legally privileged) and is intended solely for the use of the
intended named recipient.

If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose,
copy, distribute or retain any part of this message or its
attachments. If you have received this message in error please
notify the originator immediately by using the reply facility in
your e-mail software.

Incoming and outgoing emails may be monitored in line with
current legislation.

All copies of the message received in error should be destroyed.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the original
author. This email message has been scanned for viruses, and
declared to be virus free at the point of exit from Cumbria
County Council's network.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/