Impact of proposed home education legislation

FoI/2009/374

Dear Mr Blades,

Thank you for your enquiry. I will pass this to the Education Service
and we will respond within 20 working days.

Yours sincerely

Sue Broughton

Information Management Officer

Policy & Communication

* West Berkshire Council, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury RG14
5LD

Email: [West Berkshire Council request email]

01635 519747 (external) ' 2747 (internal) 6: 01635 519613

You should be aware that all emails received and sent by this Council
are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and therefore may be
disclosed to a third party.

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FoI/2009/374

Dear Mr Blades,

We have now collated the information to respond to your request. You
have asked:

(a) Has it been formally discussed by the committees of elected
councillors responsible for education, children's social care, finance
or any other relevant department?
No (it has been discussed with the portfolio holder - see response to c
below, and the explanatory note at the end of our response).

(b) Has it been formally discussed by the officers responsible for
education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant
department?
Yes, briefly, by the Head of Education Service and several senior
officers in Education. (I am uncertain of your definition of formally
but can confirm it was discussed).

(c) Have the committees responsible for education, children's social
care, finance or any other relevant department taken part in the
Government consultation into the proposed legislation, which ends on 19
October 2009?
The portfolio holder, Cllr Barbara Alexander has confirmed that the
report was discussed with her, her deputy (Cllr Irene Neill) and with
the shadow portfolio holder (Cllr Alan Macro) at one of their routine
meetings with the Head of Education Service (Ian Pearson). Their views
will have been included in any response to the consultation.

(d) Have the unelected local authority officers responsible for
education, children's social care, finance or any other relevant
department taken part in the Government consultation into the proposed
legislation, which ends on 19 October 2009?
Yes

(e) If the councillors or officers have not taken part in the
consultation, are they planning to do so?
N/A

I would direct you to the committee structure on the website. You will
note that the committee structure does not echo the departmental/service
structure - there is not, for example, an Education Committee or a
Children's Social Care Committee.
http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?a...
Some parts of your questions as asked are not therefore relevant to the
Council's process, and I have supplied a narrative response in these
cases.

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled, you may
ask for an internal review. You should contact David Lowe, Policy &
Scrutiny Manager, Policy & Communication, Council Offices, Market
Street, Newbury RG14 5LD, email [email address] if you wish to
request a review. If you are not content with the outcome of the
internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Sue Broughton

Information Management Officer

Policy & Communication

* West Berkshire Council, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury RG14
5LD

Email: [West Berkshire Council request email]

01635 519747 (external) ' 2747 (internal) 6: 01635 519613

You should be aware that all emails received and sent by this Council
are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and therefore may be
disclosed to a third party.

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

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I am out of the office on Friday 23rd October and will respond to emails
on my return.

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