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

26/08/08

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

RE: YOUR REQUEST REF NO. 2611 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for information received on the 26 August 2008.
Your request reference is as above.

We will respond to your request promptly and in any event within 20
working days of the date of receipt of your request. If you wish to
contact me to discuss the progress of your request, please use the contact
details given below and quote the reference number given above.

Yours sincerely

Clare Mackay
____________________

Group Managers Assistant
Legal and Insurance Services
Surrey County Council
Rm 127, County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston
KT1 2DN

Tel: 020 8541 9568
Fax: 020 8541 9115
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

RE: YOUR REQUEST 2611 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for information, which was received on the 24
August 2008. Your request number is 2611.

Please note that, following initial consideration, it is felt that further
information is required to enable us to identify and/or locate the
information you have requested. This further information is as follows:-

Clarification of your definition of Executive (Council Staff) is required
as at Surrey County Council the Executive refers to the body of elected
Members who are responsible for most day-to-day decisions.

Please let us have this information as soon as possible so that we can
give further consideration to your request. The County Council will not
be obliged to deal with your request unless this further information is
provided.

If you wish to discuss any of the above, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the handling of your request for information and
wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, in the first
instance you should contact the County Council, quoting your request
number given above, at:

Freedom of Information Officer
Surrey County Council
Room 134
County Hall
Penhryn Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DN
[Surrey County Council request email]

If you are not satisfied by the County Council?s response to your
complaint, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision. The Information Commissioner will normally expect you to have
exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:

Information Commissioner?s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

show quoted sections

Dear Cheryl Hardman,

To avoid any doubt.. it refers to the non-elected representatives
(who might also be classed as employees). Those that execute
(executive) the decisions of the administration (elected
representatives).

I guess that different administrations and executives use the words
differently.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

RE: YOUR REQUEST 2611 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for providing the further information that we asked for in
connection with your request. This was received on 26 August 2008. Please
note that it is this date which is the date of receipt of your request for
the purposes of the above mentioned Act.

We will respond to your request promptly and in any event within 20
working days of the date of receipt of your request. Please do not
hesitate to contact me at the address below if you have any queries
regarding this email.

Yours sincerely

_________________
Cheryl Hardman
Democratic Services Officer
Democratic Services

County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston-upon-Thames
KT1 2DN

Phone: 020 8541 9075
Email: [email address]

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS <[FOI #2247 email]>
26/08/08 16:12

To
Cheryl Hardman <[email address]>
cc

Subject
Freedom of Information request - functions council

Dear Cheryl Hardman,

To avoid any doubt.. it refers to the non-elected representatives
(who might also be classed as employees). Those that execute
(executive) the decisions of the administration (elected
representatives).

I guess that different administrations and executives use the words
differently.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Hardiwcke Carruthers
RE: YOUR REQUEST 2611 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for information, which was received on the 24
August 2008. Your request number is 2611.

Please note that, following initial consideration, it is felt that further
information is required to enable us to identify and/or locate the
information you have requested. This further information is as follows:-

Clarification of administrative costs do you just want all the costs
associated with back office functions (eg payroll, accounts payable,
member services etc)? or are you referring to all County Council Staff
the delivery front line services.

Please let us have this information as soon as possible so that we can
give further consideration to your request. The County Council will not
be obliged to deal with your request unless this further information is
provided.

If you wish to discuss any of the above, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the handling of your request for information and
wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, in the first
instance you should contact the County Council, quoting your request
number given above, at:

Freedom of Information Officer
Surrey County Council
Room 134
County Hall
Penhryn Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DN
[Surrey County Council request email]

If you are not satisfied by the County Council?s response to your
complaint, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision. The Information Commissioner will normally expect you to have
exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:

Information Commissioner?s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Clare Mackay

show quoted sections

[FOI #2247 email]

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers
YOUR REQUEST 2611 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Further to my colleague's email of 28/8, can you please provide
clarification of the following section of your request.

You have asked for 'total administrative costs' (see full text of relevant
paragraph below). Could you please explain the specific types of costs
you require. Are you referring to the costs of back office functions such
as payroll, accounts etc? All front-line services will also include some
administrative costs, but our finance systems do not code these separately
from the other costs of running the services.

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.

Please let us have this information as soon as possible so that we can
give further consideration to this section of your request.

If you wish to discuss any of the above, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the handling of your request for information and
wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, in the first
instance you should contact the County Council, quoting your request
number given above, at:

Freedom of Information Officer
Surrey County Council
Room 134
County Hall
Penhryn Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DN
[Surrey County Council request email]

If you are not satisfied by the County Council?s response to your
complaint, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision. The Information Commissioner will normally expect you to have
exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:

Information Commissioner?s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Eileen Perren

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

I mean total administrative costs (i.e. total costs of staffing the
Council). If there should be problems because of the different
budget headings.. an estimate is acceptable (could this be
identified)

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers

[FOI #2247 email]
Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

RE: YOUR REQUEST REFERENCE 2611 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

We have considered your request and now provide our response.

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.

Surrey County Council does not hold this information. Members are not
asked to record time spent on Council activities.

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.

From 2005/06, we have officially had 80 Members at any time, however, the
breakdown on total amount paid is as follows:
2005/06 - payment to 114 Members. This was an election year and so there
were expenses/allowances still being paid in the 2005/06 finanical year to
Members who lost their seat in May 2005. Payment was £1,337,932.59.
2006/07 - payment to 82 Members. This is because of a death in year and
another Cllr standing down leading to 2 byelections. Payment was
£1,345,037.09
2007/08 - payment to 80 Members. Payment was £1,381,975.70

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.

Number of recorded complaints were as follows:
2005/06 1112
2006/07 1103
2007/08 974

Surrey County Council does not hold information on the number of
complaints formally considered by an elected representative for each of
these years; members are not normally involved in the determination of a
complaint under the council's complaints procedure

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.

Surrey County Council does not record information in this format. As
stated previously, members are not normally involved in the determination
of a complaint under the council's complaints procedure. Any identified
areas of concern over staff behaviour as a result of a complaint would be
referred for internal staff disciplinary procedure; we would not be able
to identify how many complaints this may relate to without checking every
complaint. We have considered your request for this information and have
estimated that the cost of complying with your request will exceed £450.
This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2 ½ working days
in determining whether the Council holds the information, and locating,
retrieving, extracting and collating the information. We have made this
calculation in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Data
Protection (Appropriate Limits and Fees) Regulations 2004. This
calculation was based on the time it would take to check through the
records of over 3000 complaints recorded on our complaints database. Under
the Freedom of Information Act we are not obliged to comply with a request
for information if we estimate that the cost of complying with the request
would exceed £450. This letter is therefore a formal refusal notice under
the Act. We may be able to consider your request further if you could
refine or reduce your request to more manageable proportions and resubmit
your request so that it brings the cost within the appropriate limit.

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.

Recorded compensation paid as a result of the councils own complaints
procedure for 2007/08 was £342. We are unable to give a figure for
previous years as this was not recorded on the previous complaints
database.

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.

The amounts of money paid as a result of LGO investigations were as
follows:
2005/06 £75,000
2006/07 £10,500
2007/08 £45,000

Please additionally identify if these costs were met directly by Council
Tax Payers or the Council's insurers (excluding self insurance by a
Council)

As Surrey County Council self-insures for the first £100,000, none of the
above sums would have been paid by the Council's insurers.

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).

Surrey County Council does not hold information in this format. Although
we have a central Customer Relations Team, this is supported by a network
of Customer Relations Managers who undertake this role in addition to
other responsibilities. Other staff in service are also involved in
handling stage 1 complaints as part of their normal activities. Time and
costs are not recorded separately for this activity.
Please also provide details of your total administrative costs for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008

EMPLOYEE COSTS TAKEN FROM BUDGET BOOKS FOR THE APPROPRIATE YEAR:
£000
2005/06 682,689 (401,466
of this relates to schools and learning and will include teachers)

2006/07 740,626 (435,901
of this relates to schools and learning and will include teachers)

2007/08 263,278 (18,785 of
this relates to schools and learning but does not include teachers)

The dedicated schools grant (DSG) was introduced in 2006/07. Prior to
2006/07 schools funding was provided from authorities' general reserves
(council tax and grant) although the amount that had to be spent on
schools functions was closely controlled. Under the DSG system councils
receive a ring fenced grant for schools and a compensating reduction in
formula grant. In the figures above, teachers salaries are included in
2005/06 and 2006/07, but not in 2007/08.

The employee costs for the required years have been taken from the budget
books for the appropriate year as our Statement of Accounts does not
present the information in this format.

Comparisons between years should be made with caution, as responsibilities
and funding for activities can and does change year on year.

and the total number of staff employed by your authority,
March 2006. Employees: 29609 FTE: 17475
March 2007. Employees: 30133 FTE: 17254
March 2008. Employees: 31308 FTE: 17821
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.
Surrey County Council will not disclose details of an individual?s
remuneration as this information is personal information and so exempt
under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act which refers to
personal information. This information cannot be disclosed because its
disclosure to a member of the public would contravene one or more of the
data protection principles. The data protection principles constitute an
8-point statutory code for the processing of personal data. They are set
out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998. As a public
authority, Surrey County Council must observe all of the data protection
principles when processing personal data. The exemption from the duty to
disclose personal data where to do so would breach a data protection
principle is an absolute exemption; the public interest test in section 2
of the FOI Act does not apply.

Surrey County Council does not use performance related pay. The Chief
Executive and senior managers within the Council are subject to Senior Pay
Progression which allows for a possible increase to the employee?s salary,
and is reviewed on an annual basis. The individual review will take
account of factors such as personal development, including relevant
management competencies, personal contribution against agreed
accountabilities and targets and any generally agreed market adjustment to
pay rates.

We supply this information based on your original request. Please do not
hesitate to contact me at the above address if you have any queries
regarding the information enclosed. Remember to quote the reference
number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the handling of your request for information and
wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, in the first
instance you should contact the County Council, quoting your request
number given above, at:

Freedom of Information Officer
Surrey County Council
Room 134
County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DN
[Surrey County Council request email]

If you are not satisfied by the County Council?s response to your
complaint, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision. The Information Commissioner will normally expect you to have
exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:

Information Commissioner?s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Eileen Perren

Freedom of Information Officer (Tuesday - Friday)
Legal and Insurance Services
Surrey County Council
Rm 134, County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston
KT1 2DN

Tel: 020 8541 7969
Fax: 020 8541 9115
Email: [Surrey County Council request email]