council functions

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS made this Freedom of Information request to Derby City Council

The request was partially successful.

From: Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

23 August 2008

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

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From: FOI
Derby City Council

23 August 2008

*** Before reading or acting on this e-mail, or opening any attachment, please read Derby City Council's disclaimer and confidentiality statement at the end of this e-mail ***

This is acknowledgement that your e-mail has been received by the Freedom
of Information team. We will respond to you as soon as possible.

Freedom of Information Team | Resources & Housing Department | Derby City
Council, PO Box 6291, The Council House, Derby, DE1 2YL | Tel: 01332
256265 | minicom: 01332 256666 | [1]www.derby.gov.uk
Derby City Council - committed to being an Excellent council

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The views expressed in this email are personal and may not necessarily reflect those of Derby City Council, unless explicitly stated otherwise

This email, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you should not copy it for any purpose, or disclose its contents to any other person.

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From: FOI
Derby City Council

28 August 2008

*** Before reading or acting on this e-mail, or opening any attachment, please read Derby City Council's disclaimer and confidentiality statement at the end of this e-mail ***

I acknowledge your request for information received on 23.08.08.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested as soon as possible, but in any case within the statutory
timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of Information Act
2000, unless the information requested is subject to a statutory exemption
on disclosure or the information contains reference to a third party.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. Some exemptions are
subject to a public interest test. There will be an assessment and if any
of the exemption categories apply and any relevant public interest test is
weighed in favour of withholding the information it will not be released.
You will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may need to be consulted before a decision is taken on whether the
information can be released to you. You will be informed if this is the
case.

There may be a fee payable for supplying the information in the form of
disbursements. This will be calculated and you will be informed if a fee
is payable. The fee must be paid before the information is released and
the 20 working day time limit for responses is suspended until payment is
made. You will have 3 calendar months to submit your payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the

Freedom of Information Officer
Derby City Council
Room 213
P O Box 6291
The Council House
Corporation Street
Derby
DE1 2YL

Telephone 01332 256265 or 256262 or e-mail [Derby City 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 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Kind regards

Kully Johal

FOI Team

Kully Johal | Support Officer | Central IT | Resources Department | Derby
City Council, PO Box 6291, The Council House, Derby DE1 2YL | Tel: 01332
255178 | Fax: 01332 256267 | Mincom number 01332 256666 | Web:
[1]www.derby.gov.uk

Derby City Council - committed to being an Excellent council

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The views expressed in this email are personal and may not necessarily reflect those of Derby City Council, unless explicitly stated otherwise

This email, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you should not copy it for any purpose, or disclose its contents to any other person.

Senders and recipients of e-mail should be aware that under the Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000, the contents may have to be disclosed.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by Surfcontrol for the presence of computer viruses. However, we cannot accept liability for viruses that may be in this e-mail. We recommend that you check all e-mails with an appropriate virus scanner.

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From: FOI
Derby City Council

19 September 2008

Attachment part response 922.pdf
24K Download View as HTML

*** Before reading or acting on this e-mail, or opening any attachment, please read Derby City Council's disclaimer and confidentiality statement at the end of this e-mail ***

Dear S Hardwick Carruthers

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST 922

Your request for information has now been considered and part of the
information requested is enclosed. Information for question 13 and 14 will
follow.

I would be grateful if you could clarify Question 12 in relation to
'administrative costs' of the Council. Does this question relate to the
number of administrative staff employed by the Council ?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 says that we must comply with your
request for information within 20 working days, from the date following
receipt of your request unless we have to ask for clarification, as in
this case. The 20 day clock will stop on the day we ask for the
clarification and will start again on the day we receive your response.
You can write to us at the address below, e-mail us at [1][Derby City Council request email]
or telephone us on 01332 256265. The 20 day clock is stopped from the
date on this message.

Once clarification is received we will comply with the remainder of your
request unless the information requested is subject to a statutory
exemption on disclosure or the information contains reference to a third
party. For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions,
which may prevent 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.

Supply to you of any material does not give you the right to use that it
in a way that breaches the copyright or other intellectual property rights
in that material. For example publishing or otherwise re-using it for
commercial purposes. You must get the consent of the copyright owner which
may involve the granting of a licence and the application of a fee.

This does not restrict your rights under the fair dealing provisions of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

If you have any queries or concerns or are unhappy with the handling of
your request then please contact:

Freedom of Information Officer

Derby City Council

Room 213

P O Box 6291

The Council House

Corporation Street

Derby

DE1 2YL

Telephone 01332 256265 or 256262 or e-mail [2][Derby City Council request email]

Further information about Freedom of Information is available from the
Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
[3]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Ros Duric| Freedom of Information Team | Central IT | Resources Department
| Derby City Council, PO Box 6291, The Council House, Derby DE1 2YL | Tel:
01332 256265 | Fax: 01332 256267 | Mincom number 01332 256666 | Email:
[Derby City Council request email] | Web: [4]www.derby.gov.uk

Derby City Council - committed to being an Excellent council

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The views expressed in this email are personal and may not necessarily reflect those of Derby City Council, unless explicitly stated otherwise

This email, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you should not copy it for any purpose, or disclose its contents to any other person.

Senders and recipients of e-mail should be aware that under the Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000, the contents may have to be disclosed.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by Surfcontrol for the presence of computer viruses. However, we cannot accept liability for viruses that may be in this e-mail. We recommend that you check all e-mails with an appropriate virus scanner.

www.surfcontrol.com
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From: FOI
Derby City Council

25 September 2008

Attachment question 13 14.pdf
14K Download View as HTML

*** Before reading or acting on this e-mail, or opening any attachment, please read Derby City Council's disclaimer and confidentiality statement at the end of this e-mail ***

Freedom of Information request Number 922

Please find attached answers to question 13 and 14 which were outstanding
from the response sent to you on 19/09/08.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this letter acts as
a part Refusal Notice.

We sought clarification for Question 12

" total administrative costs for 2005/2006, 2006/2007". We have received
no response from you regarding clarification, however I must advise you
that administrative cost information is not routinely collected and it is
estimated that the cost of locating and retrieving this part of the
information would exceed the `appropriate limit' as stated in the Freedom
of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.

I apologise that your request will not be fully met but if you have any
further information needs in the future then please contact me.

You have the right of appeal against the decision. If you wish to appeal
please set out in writing your grounds of appeal and send to the:

Freedom of Information Officer, Derby City Council, Room 213, P O Box
6291,The Council House, Corporation Street, Derby. DE1 2YL

Telephone 01332 256265 or 256262 or e-mail [1][Derby City Council request email]

You can get further information on Freedom of Information from the
Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
[2]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Ros Duric| Freedom of Information Team | Central IT | Resources Department
| Derby City Council, PO Box 6291, The Council House, Derby DE1 2YL | Tel:
01332 256265 | Fax: 01332 256267 | Mincom number 01332 256666 | Email:
[Derby City Council request email] | Web: [3]www.derby.gov.uk

Derby City Council - committed to being an Excellent council

<table bgcolor=white style="color:black">

show quoted sections

The views expressed in this email are personal and may not necessarily reflect those of Derby City Council, unless explicitly stated otherwise

This email, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you should not copy it for any purpose, or disclose its contents to any other person.

Senders and recipients of e-mail should be aware that under the Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000, the contents may have to be disclosed.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by Surfcontrol for the presence of computer viruses. However, we cannot accept liability for viruses that may be in this e-mail. We recommend that you check all e-mails with an appropriate virus scanner.

www.surfcontrol.com
*********************************************************************

References

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