Dear Sir or Madam,

Please provide copies of the documentation when the Local
Commissioners decided to delegate determination of complaints to
employees of the Commission for Local Administration in England.

Please further provide copies of all documents allowing changes to
this delegation that have occurred since the delegation took place.

Yours faithfully,

Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

This is to acknowledge receipt of the request below, along with
CS/09/002 (Corporate Awayday), CS/09/003 (CLA reports 1663 - 1668), and
CS/09/006 (News items). Please note, however, that in accordance with Mr
Karney's letter to you of 8 January 2009, I would request that you give
me your reasons for making these requests before I decide how to respond
to them.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

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Dear Foi Officer,

In relation to the requests about the CLAE documents it stated
yesterday on your web site that they were available on request.

Request has been made. The issues are discussed here :
http://www.amv3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?...

The documents referred to in the July, September and November
Minutes have been requested. One document identified as being
covered by an FoI exemption has been requested this would appear to
relate to oursourcing of the LGO's activities. These are all posted
on the Whatdotheyknow site. You appear to have missed some.

In relation to News Items these were also available (3 years worth)
from your Website yesterday. It seems prudent to ensure that all
digital copies are archived and easily accessible to consumers.

I am still awaiting clarification if Mr KARNEY is responsible to
the Secretary of State or the LGO in relation to FoI issues. The
LGO's appear to be aware of the problems of the CLAE.. and
doubtless once the required information is provided request will be
made to the LGO's as members of the CLAE to sort out the problems.

In relation to the Delegation issue. Pat THOMAS (former LGO for the
North) identified in I think the Tribunals magazine recently that
the LGO's had delegated determination of complaints to the CLAE (in
the early / mid 90s). This appears to be when consumer
disatissafction with the LGO started to become manifested. The
investigation and determination of MI became controlled by the same
people (staff of the CLAE), and the LGO's were placed in the
situation of protecting their staff or admitting that their staff
had not investigated complaints as could be hoped.

The CLAE is not there to determine MI. That is the role of the
LGO.. it is believed that tracking the scheme of delegation (and
any changes) might identify why there has been growing consumer
disatisfaction with the LGO's.. (this includes modification of
statute without consultation)

Hopefully that provides the clarification that you require. I would
also suggest that you point out s1 and s2 of the FoI to your line
manager.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Local Government
Ombudsmen's handling of my FOI request 'Delegation'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/de...

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

I am still awaiting your reason for asking for this information. That is
why you have not received a response.

It would help if you would quote our reference number when
corresponding, so that I can more easily determine which of your
requests you are referring to.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

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Dear Foi Officer,

On 13 January 2009 I identified to you why I wanted the
information, and provided explanation to some other requests. That
is an unacceptable burden in itself.

The issue is to enable tracking of consumer disatisfaction to
delegation of the LGO's powers to the CLAE. It is recognised that
the CLAE probably might have private interests as to why they will
not provide the information.

Please state your reference number in all correspondence if you
wish any notice to be taken of it.

It is anticipated so there is no doubt that the CLAE will provide
content identifying that it is in need of reform, and that it shall
be possible to bring this to the attention of decision makers
(including the Ombudsmen).

Internal Review has already been requested

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

Reference: CS/09/007 (as stated in subject line and on all letters sent)

Please find attached a letter in response to this request.

I'll now get back to preparing the website pages which will add the
Commission agenda and papers to our website.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

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Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

Here are the delegation documents referred to in the letter I sent with
the previous email.

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

show quoted sections

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Local Government
Ombudsmen's handling of my FOI request 'Delegation'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/de...

This is only a partial response I wish to know when the LGO's first
delegated their powers to the CLAE, and each date additonal powers
were transferred.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Sir or Madam,

apologies.. many thanks for the data have just more carefully read
your letter.. and look forward to receipt of the additional
information.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Thank you. Maybe we've both learned we need to read things more
carefully today!

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

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Dear Foi Officer,

yes :-)

However, I noticed faster.. many thanks

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Carruthers

Our ref: CS/09/007

I sent the attached letter, along with the attachments referred to in
the letter, but I've had a system message saying you cannot receive the
size of message I've sent. Perhaps you could supply a different email
address, or a postal address, where I can send the documentation to.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

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Dear Foi Officer,

Is it possible to change format.

Otherwise, will send you postal address. I think that you might
already have this on file

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Carruthers

No it is not possible to change the format, although we can easily send
photocopies, if you supply a postal address.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

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Dear Foi Officer,

Are you sure it is not possible to scan ?

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

They are scanned. They are in tiff format - that is how our scanner
works. Perhaps they might go to your other email address rather than the
whatdotheyknow one?

Hilary Pook
Communications & Records Manager
Local Government Ombudsman's Office
Tel: 020 7217 4734
www.lgo.org.uk

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of
the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error
please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

show quoted sections

Dear Foi Officer,

That sounds like a good idea, please mail

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS