Council newspapers

L Barnett made this Freedom of Information request to Brent Borough Council

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Brent Borough Council should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

From: L Barnett

3 January 2010

Dear Brent Borough Council,

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, I wish to
receive the following information from your authority:

1. The name, frequency and distribution/circulation of your council
newspaper (by council newspaper I mean the most frequently
published newspaper or magazine intended for mass distribution
covering more than one topic)

2. How much it cost to produce and distribute said newspaper in the
last full financial year, and how much was budgeted from council
resources in the financial year 2009/2010

3. How much of that cost is offset by advertising

4. How much of that advertising, if any, comes from external
sources (ie not from your authority's budgets)?

5. Which other public sector partners pay to run advertising in
your newspaper, eg PCTs?

6. Whether recruitment advertising forms part of the advertising in
your newspaper?

7. A copy of an editorial policy guide, if one exists, which
governs the material which is placed in the newspaper, and how it
is decided

8. A copy of an advertising policy guide, if one exists, which
governs what sort of advertising is suitable.

9. The number of people employed to put your newspaper/newsletter
together, including total cost and staff organisation chart

Some parts of this request may be easier to answer than others, and
should this prove to be the case I would ask that you release
available data as soon as possible rather than hold up the entire
request.

I would prefer to receive this information electronically. If the
decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in
Act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemptions used.

If you need any clarification then please contact me at the email.
Under your section 16 duty to provide advice and assistance I would
expect you to contact me if you find this request unmanageable in
any way.

I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have
received this request, and I look forward to hearing from you in
the near future.

Yours faithfully,

L Barnett

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Brent Borough Council

4 January 2010

Brent Council - INFORMATION REQUEST

Our Reference: 570401
====================================================

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your request for information received on 4 January 2010. We
aim to respond to your request within 20 working days.

However, whilst we may send the formal notification of the decision to the
email address you have provided we will not send the information requested
to that address. This is because we are aware that doing so will
automatically result in the information being published on the
whatdotheyknow website. Publication of information in this way may
constitute an unauthorised re-use (under the Re-use of Public Sector
Information Regulations 2005) and may infringe copyright. I would therefore
be grateful if you will provide me with an alternative disclosure address.
This can be a postal address, fax number or an email address, as long as it
does not result in automatic publication and re-use.

If you wish to apply for permission to re-use any of the requested
information you may do so by writing to the IT Standards Manager at Brent
Council, Floor 5, 349-357 High Road, Wembley HA9 6BZ , telephone 020 8937
1402, e-mail [Brent Borough Council request email]

If you wish to appeal against the requirement to provide an alternative
disclosure address you can do so by writing to the IT Standards Manager at
the address given above.

You also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner. However,
the Information Commissioner will not normally consider an appeal until you
have exhausted your rights of redress and complaint to the Council. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted as follows: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF; Telephone: 01625 545 700, www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Stephen F Williams,
For Brent ITU
[email address]
--
The use of Brent Council's e-mail system may be monitored and communications read in order to secure effective operation of the system and other lawful purposes.

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From: L Barnett

22 February 2010

Dear Brent Borough Council,

I am still waiting for my information. Please could you update me
as to when I can expect it to arrive?

Yours faithfully,

L Barnett

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From: Stephen F Williams
Brent Borough Council

10 March 2010

Brent Council - INFORMATION REQUEST

Our Reference: 570401
====================================================

Dear Sir/Madam,

Further to the earlier correspondence I am writing to advise you that the
information you requested is available to be communicated subject to
supply of an alternative address for that purpose as previously requested.

If you are dissatisfied with the response or how the Council has handled
your request you can complain to the Council by writing to the following
address: IT Standards Manager at Brent Council,Floor 5, 349-357 High Road,
Wembley HA9 6BZ, telephone 020 8937 1402, e-mail [Brent Borough Council request email]. It is
the Council's policy to ensure that, where practicable, your complaint is
dealt with by someone who was not involved in the original decision.

You also have a right of appeal about our decision to the Information
Commissioner, however, the Information Commissioner will not normally
consider an appeal until you have exhausted your rights of redress and
complaint to the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted as
follows:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF; Telephone: 01625 545 700,
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
As part of our commitment to improve our service to our customers we would
welcome any feedback on the way that we have dealt with your request.

Yours faithfully

Stephen F Williams,
DPA & FOI Consultant

[email address]

--
The use of Brent Council's e-mail system may be monitored and communications read in order to secure effective operation of the system and other lawful purposes.

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Richard Holloway left an annotation (10 March 2010)

I would be interested in the information once you receive it.
please contact me via www.brondesburypark.org

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From: L Barnett

22 March 2010

Dear Stephen F Williams,

I have replied to you from my email account, almost a week ago, but
have not heard back from you. This FOI rquest is now very overdue.

Yours sincerely,

L Barnett

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Rob Dyke left an annotation (23 March 2010)

Richard,

If this information is important to Brondesbury Park Conservatives you'll need to make your own FOI request by the look of it. Brent Council don't seem to want to uphold the spirit of _Freedom_ of information, by refusing to respond to FOI via WhatDoTheyKnow.

Rob

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From: Williams, Stephenf
Brent Borough Council

24 March 2010

Dear Miss Barnett

I apologise for the delay in responding.

I anticipate that the response will be with you shortly but have copied your email to the officer responding.

Stephen Williams

FOI & DPA Consultant
for Brent ITU

show quoted sections

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From: L Barnett

31 March 2010

Dear Williams, Stephenf,

Hi - I still haven't received a reply. The 20 days for this request
expired on February 2. Do you still intend to reply?
Yours sincerely,

L Barnett

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