Dear Sir or Madam,

Sirs

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 Sir or Madam,

Response overdue. Complaints procedure engaged.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Carruthers,

I set out below (in capitals) responses to your various requests. If you are dissatisfied with the information provided, you have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe Hose, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Paul J Cox
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
Direct line: 0115 9148215
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Dear Sir or Madam,

Sirs

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.

THE COUNCIL DOES NOT HOLD THIS INFORMATION. I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT COUNCILLORS DO NOT GET DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN RESOLVING COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE EXECUTIVE, ALTHOUGH THEY DO RECEIVE AN ANNUAL REPORT FROM OFFICERS THROUGH A SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT BOARD).

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.

2005/06 - £259,493
2006/07 - £258,505
2007/08 - £299,826

THERE WERE 50 ELECTED MEMBERS IN EACH YEAR.

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.

43 IN 2005/06; 44 IN 2006/07; 37 IN 2007/08. SEE ABOVE RE CONSIDERATION OF COMPLAINTS BY MEMBERS.

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.

AS INDICATED ABOVE, MEMBERS DO NOT INVESTIGATE INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS.
NONE

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.

£75 IN 2006/07. NOTHING IN 05/06 OR 07/08.

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)

ONE LOCAL SETTLEMENT PAYMENT OF £500 IN 2005/06. NO OTHER PAYMENTS RECOMMENDED IN THIS PERIOD. ALL LGO RECOMMENDATIONS FULLY MET.

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.

THE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM IS NOT ADMINISTERED AS A SEPARATE FUNCTION AND THESE DETAILS ARE NOT THEREFORE HELD. IT HAS REPRESENTED ABOUT 5%OF THE HEAD OF LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC SERVICES' TIME. GENERAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUCH AS TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE ANNUAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS WHICH IS REPORTED TO THE COUNCIL EACH JUNE (SEE RBC WEBSITE UNDER "DEMOCRACY AND ELECTIONS".)

TOTAL STAFF NUMBERS TO FOLLOW.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE SALARY: THIS IS PERSONAL INFORMATION EXEMPT UNDER SECTION 40(2) OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (SEE ICO DECISION REF.FS50163927). HOWEVER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT DECISION, THE SALARY RANGES WERE -
2005/06 - £90,000-£100,000
2006/06 - £100-110,000 (NEW CEX APPOINTED)
2007/09 - £100-110,000

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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I now set out below the missing staffing figures:

1.4.08 FTE 357.61 actual 386

1.4.07 FTE 473.8 actual 766

1.4.06 FTE 477 actual 718

1.4.05 FTE 468 actual 696

Paul J Cox
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
Direct line: 0115 9148215
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Carruthers,

I set out below (in capitals) responses to your various requests. If you are dissatisfied with the information provided, you have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe Hose, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Paul J Cox
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
Direct line: 0115 9148215
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Dear Sir or Madam,

Sirs

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.

THE COUNCIL DOES NOT HOLD THIS INFORMATION. I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT COUNCILLORS DO NOT GET DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN RESOLVING COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE EXECUTIVE, ALTHOUGH THEY DO RECEIVE AN ANNUAL REPORT FROM OFFICERS THROUGH A SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT BOARD).

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.

2005/06 - £259,493
2006/07 - £258,505
2007/08 - £299,826

THERE WERE 50 ELECTED MEMBERS IN EACH YEAR.

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.

43 IN 2005/06; 44 IN 2006/07; 37 IN 2007/08. SEE ABOVE RE CONSIDERATION OF COMPLAINTS BY MEMBERS.

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.

AS INDICATED ABOVE, MEMBERS DO NOT INVESTIGATE INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS.
NONE

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.

£75 IN 2006/07. NOTHING IN 05/06 OR 07/08.

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)

ONE LOCAL SETTLEMENT PAYMENT OF £500 IN 2005/06. NO OTHER PAYMENTS RECOMMENDED IN THIS PERIOD. ALL LGO RECOMMENDATIONS FULLY MET.

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.

THE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM IS NOT ADMINISTERED AS A SEPARATE FUNCTION AND THESE DETAILS ARE NOT THEREFORE HELD. IT HAS REPRESENTED ABOUT 5%OF THE HEAD OF LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC SERVICES' TIME. GENERAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUCH AS TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE ANNUAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS WHICH IS REPORTED TO THE COUNCIL EACH JUNE (SEE RBC WEBSITE UNDER "DEMOCRACY AND ELECTIONS".)

TOTAL STAFF NUMBERS TO FOLLOW.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE SALARY: THIS IS PERSONAL INFORMATION EXEMPT UNDER SECTION 40(2) OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (SEE ICO DECISION REF.FS50163927). HOWEVER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT DECISION, THE SALARY RANGES WERE -
2005/06 - £90,000-£100,000
2006/06 - £100-110,000 (NEW CEX APPOINTED)
2007/09 - £100-110,000

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...

Is [Rushcliffe Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom
of Information requests to Rushcliffe Borough Council? If so please
let us know by emailing [WhatDoTheyKnow contact email] - we'll make sure
future ones go to the right place.
-------------------------------------------------------------------