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Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS made this Freedom of Information request to West Dorset District Council

The request was partially successful.

From: Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

24 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: Sue Hargreaves
West Dorset District Council

1 September 2008

MESSAGE FROM ROGER GREENE

I am writing to acknowledge your request for information dated the 24th
August 2008.

We are dealing with your request and will be in contact with you again.

In most cases we will reply within 20 working days. If, for any reason,
this is not possible, we will let you know.

Yours sincerely

Roger Greene
Freedom of Information Officer
West Dorset District Council
Legal Services
Direct Tel: 01305 252253
Legal Dept Fax: 01305 252495
E-mail: [email address]

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From: Kevin Warren
West Dorset District Council

26 September 2008

Attachment 2005 06 Member Allowances Analysis.pdf
48K Download View as HTML

Attachment 2006 07 Member Allowances Analysis.xls
88K Download View as HTML

Attachment 2007 08 Member Allowances Analysis.pdf
73K Download View as HTML

MESSAGE FROM ROGER GREENE

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

I refer to my e-mail of the 1st September and in relation to your original
enquiry I would respond as follows.

Question 1
The average proportion of time elected representatives of this authority
spend as part of their duties for 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08.

Answer:
The council does not hold the information requested.

Question 2
How much in total was paid to local councillors to meet all their duties
for 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 and how many elected representatives
represented the authority for these years.

Answer:
Information on expenses paid to each elected councillor is attached.
For each year the council had 48 elected representatives.

Question 3
How many complaints in total were submitted to the Council in 2005/06,
2006/07 and 2007/08.

Answer:
2005/06 - 56
2006/07 - 52
2007/08 - 41

Question 4
How many complaints were formally considered by an elected representative
for each of the years 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08.

Answer:
None

Question 5
How many complaints against council staff led to the elected
representatives formally identifying that council staff had acted wrongly
for the years 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08

Answer:
Nil

Question 6
How many of these formal determinations by elected representatives
identified that there was wrong doing by council staff

Answer:
Nil

Question 7
How many staff employed in 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, ceased to be
employed by your authority as a direct result of a complaint against the
council staff.

Answer:
Nil

Question 8
How much money has been paid in the form of local settlement or formal
finding of maladministration in 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08.

Answer:
2005/06 - maladministration nil payments; local settlement nil payments
2006/07 - maladministration nil payments; local settlement one payment of
£250, all recommendations met in full
2007/08 - maladministration nil payments; local settlements two (one
resolved through round table meeting and the second a payment of £250
with recommendations met in full)

The cost of the local settlements is met through the relevant departmental
budget.

Question 9
Financial cost of administering complaints systems including FOI and DP
for 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08.

Answer:
Cost of administering complaints:
2005/06 - £2,932 (20% of FTE @ £14,664)
2006/07 - £3,019 (20% of FTE @ £15,096)
2007/08 - £3,094 (20% of FTE @ £15,470)

Cost of administering FOI and DP:

The cost of administering both FOI and DP since 2005 is £9,058 in officer
costs for the Assistant Legal Services Manager.

Question 10
Number of staff employed in administering and resolving complaints.

Answer:
Administration of complaints - 2 FTE
Resolving of complaints - undertaken by officers across the council as
part of their normal contracted duties

Question 11
Total administrative costs for 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 and total number
of staff employed.

Answer:
Total administrative cost (annual salary of Corporate Services £486,000)
Total number of staff 2005/06 - 443
Total number of staff 2006/07 - 445
Total number of staff 2007/08 - 448

These are the figures for permanent full time equivalents.

Question 12
Please provide details of any pay increase (including increments) made to
the Council's Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) in pounds sterling
for each of the years 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08. Please additionally
identify if the Chief Executives wages included performance related
payments.

Answer:

The annual salary range for West Dorset District Council's Chief Executive
in 2005/06 was £76,164 (point 1 of the salary band) to £84,624 (point 5)
following a 2.95% increase.

The annual salary range for West Dorset District Council's Chief Executive
in 2006/07 was £78,411 (point 1 of the salary band) to £87,120 (point 5)
following a 2.95% increase.

The annual salary range for West Dorset District Council's Chief Executive
in 2007/08 was £80,352 (point 1 of the salary band) to £89,277 (point 5)
following a 2.475% increase.

The Chief Executive does not receive performance related pay.

I therefore believe that I have dealt with your enquiry satisfactorily and
would refer you to the final paragraph hereof.

If you have any complaints in respect of your information request, please
write to the Chief Executive at the above address or complete the on-line
complaint form that can be found at www.dorsetforyou.com. If your
complaint is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you have the
right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision.

Yours sincerely

Roger Greene
Assistant Legal Services Manager and
Deputy Monitoring Officer
West Dorset District Council
Legal Services
Direct Tel: 01305 252253
Legal Dept Fax: 01305 252495
Email: [email address]

<<2005-06 Member Allowances Analysis.pdf>> <<2006-07 Member Allowances
Analysis.xls>> <<2007-08 Member Allowances Analysis.pdf>>

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