Dear Sir or Madam,

Stickers have appeared on the doors of vacant properties over the
weekend which say: "IPS services (www.ipsservices.co.uk) - nothing
of value in this property - working in partnership - Liverpool City
Council".

I have been unable to find any mention of the alleged partnership
relationship on the ips website or on the council website.

May I have copies of all contracts, memorandums and communications
between Liverpool City Council and "ips" that can be disclosed
under the Freedom of Information Act?

Yours faithfully,

Julian Todd.

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Julian Todd,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

In order to fully answer your enquiry, please can you supply us with
further details of what street/s you have seen the properties in that
have these stickers on the doors? This will enable us to deal with your
enquiry more efficiently.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct
[email address]
www.liverpool.gov.uk
Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

Would you prefer to receive your council tax bill via e-mail? Go to
www.liverpool.gov.uk and complete the easy online registration form.

show quoted sections

Dear Liverpool Direct,

A sticker has appeared on 46 Cairns Street, among other places.

I can make a survey of other properties, if you insist, but I don't
see how it would help. Clearly someone has given IPS the authority
to use the Liverpool City Council logo on its materials in
conjunction with the phrase "working in partnership". I would
presume that among the materials that could be disclosed by the
Freedom of Information Act is the entire list of properties it has
been contracted to look after -- as well as the contracts
themselves.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Julian Todd,

Thank you again for your recent e-mail & thank you for providing further
information.

We have forwarded your request to the relevant department, and they will
answer your query as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct
[email address]
www.liverpool.gov.uk
Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

Would you prefer to receive your council tax bill via e-mail? Go to
www.liverpool.gov.uk and complete the easy online registration form.

show quoted sections

Dear Liverpool Direct,

I send an FOI request for contracts and communications between
Liverpool City Council and IPS services (contractor in charge of
boarding up and maintaining many of the properties in the vicinity
of Cairns Street) on 21 January 2008, and clarified my request in
response to an email on the same day.

According to the FOI Act (the 20 working day limit) I was due a
reply by 18 February.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Todd,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We have forwarded your request to the relevant department, and have
asked that they respond to your query as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct
[email address]
www.liverpool.gov.uk
Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

Would you prefer to receive your council tax bill via e-mail? Go to
www.liverpool.gov.uk and complete the easy online registration form.

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Todd - Further to your foi request received in this office on 22
February, 2008 for contracts and communications between Liverpool City
Council and IPS services (contractor in charge of boarding up and
maintaining many of the properties in the vicinity of Cairns Street) you
state that you previously sent this request on 21 January, 2008,
unfortunately the request did not reach this team and it has not been
logged and forwarded to the appropriate service area to obtain the
information.

Please accept my apologies for this delay, we have had some system
breakdowns in the past which has affected the informationrequests mailbox
receiving emails and this may be the reason. If you can clarify to which
email or other address you sent this request I can investigate why we did
not receive it.

Your request has now been logged and once we receive the information from
the service area concerned we will respond to you. Many thanks

Lesley Akers

Complaints Officer

Customer Feedback Team

Chief Executive's Office

Room 1

Municipal Buildings

Dale Street Liverpool L2 2DH

Tel: 0151 225 3601

Fax: 0151 225 2017

[1][email address]

[2]www.liverpool.gov.uk

LIVERPOOL EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Akers, Lesley,

Regarding my FOI request of 21 January, as far as I know it was to
this same email. I even replied to a clarification about the
request by a correspondent who signed only "Liverpool Direct", so I
know it got through.

This request is being managed using an on-line public system, so
you can review the full correspondence as I know it at:
http://foi.mysociety.org/request/16

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Todd.

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We have forwarded your request to the relevant department, and they will
answer your query as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct
[email address]
www.liverpool.gov.uk
Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Todd

Please find attached letter in relation to your FOI enquiry.

On behalf of Wendy Twigge, Information Manager

show quoted sections

Freedom of Information Request: 24704
Contracts and Communications between Liverpool City Council and IPS

Dear Miss W Twigge,

Thank you for your response on 10 March to my Freedom of
Information request for all contracts between Liverpool City
Council and IPS.

You report that the contract has been live for two years and there
are approximately 260 orders per month made under the contract.

May I have a copy of the contract which you have mentioned and a
sample of up to ten such orders made under the contract including
any invoices?

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have been reminded of a response that is one month overdue.

On 10 March, following an FOI request that was turned down due to
the time limits, I narrowed my request to include a copy of the
contract between Liverpool City Council and IPS that I was informed
has been live for two years.

I hope it is not too much trouble to find this particular document.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Julian Todd,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We have forwarded your request to the relevant department, and they will
answer your query as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct

[email address]

www.liverpool.gov.uk

Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

Would you prefer to receive your council tax bill via e-mail? Go to
www.liverpool.gov.uk and complete the easy online registration form.

show quoted sections

Dear Liverpool Direct,

I have been waiting since 10 March for my Freedom of Information
request for a copy of the contract signed between Liverpool City
Council and IPS services (the company that "works in partnership"
to board up properties in the district) that has been live for the
last two years.

Does the Council have any intention of answering my request in due
course?

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Todd,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We have forwarded your request to the relevant department, and they will
answer your query as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct

[email address]

www.liverpool.gov.uk

Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

Would you prefer to receive your council tax bill via e-mail? Go to
www.liverpool.gov.uk and complete the easy online registration form.

show quoted sections

Dear Liverpool Direct,

On 21 January 2008 I first requested the contract between Liverpool
City Council and IPS Services (the company working in partnership
with the council to board up many of its properties).

No information whatsoever has been forthcoming, and the last
communication I have received from you (acknowledging receipt of an
email) was on 10 June.

Unless I receive a firm date for a successful completion of this
request by the end of the week, this Friday (11 July) I will be
forwarding the matter to the Information Commissioner

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.

Thank you for your e-mail.

This e-mail confirms we have received your enquiry.

We will endeavour to respond to this enquiry within 24 hours, but please
note that during

busy periods it may take up to 3 working days to reply to you.

In the mean time, you will be able to find the answers to commonly asked
questions on our
website: [1]www.liverpool.gov.uk.

Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been generated
automatically.

Liverpool Direct
Winner - 'Best in Public Sector', Call Centre

Association Excellence Awards 2004 Liverpool,

European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Dear Julian Todd,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We have forwarded your request to the relevant department, and they will
answer your query as soon as possible.

Please contact us if you have any further queries we may assist with.

Yours sincerely

Liverpool Direct

[email address]

www.liverpool.gov.uk

Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Todd

Please see attached response to your request for information.

<<response todd 24704>>

<<DOC160908todd.pdf>>

Regards

Wendy Twigge
Information Manager
Tel: 0151 225 3132

Liverpool - Capital of Culture Winner 2008

show quoted sections

IPS Services FOI Request

Dear Wendy Twigge,

Thank you for the reply to my request for the contract between
Liverpool City Council and IPS Services for the tinning up and
guarding of properties under the control of the Council, which was
answered seven months late.

You have informed me that the Council has misplaced the Contract
for this on-going service. The reason I requested the Contract was
in order to note:

* the terms of service and coverage
* the billing arrangements
* agreed costs in advance
* date when the Contract runs out
* the process for extending the Contract.
* agreement to use the Council logo on stickers
* the conditions at the termination of service, pursuant to
transferring the work to another supplier or back to the Council
* any complaint procedures (for example, for overcharging for
work, and work not done)

Without the Contract, it's difficult to hold the supplier in breach
of Contract, for example. There's also going to be no clause
stipulating that any of the above information is "confidential"
(not that this would not over-ride the FOI Act).

Does the Council hold any written records at all of the conditions
for this on-going business relation, including information in the
list above, or is it all proceeding informally?

You have also informed me that the Contract is currently being
re-tendered. You have offered to supply me with a copy of the
Contract.

Please can you send me any information about this re-tendering
process (eg the code-number held on the OJEU system), as well as
the full Contract as soon as it is agreed.

Whoever the Supplier is will know that they are signing an
agreement with a Public Authority and that any information will be
subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Recent decisions by the
Information Commissioner have made it clear that if a Supplier
objects to having information about its dealings disclosed to the
public (who ultimately bears all the costs), then they are free to
conduct their business elsewhere.

My final points are addressed on the matter of the redactions made
to the sample invoices. I am not raising a complaint on this
request, because no doubt the same exemptions are being prepared in
response to my 25 August 2008 request for the IPS Services monthly
invoices (whose format I have seen), and we will have the
opportunity to argue about it then.

You have cited Section 31 (Law enforcement) and Section 38 (Health
and safety) in applying an exemption to disclosure of the exact
locations of the properties, since knowing the location of empty
properties poses a risk for increased criminal activity and public
endangerment.

This might be the case if the properties were unguarded and their
vacant condition was ambiguous. However, the services provided by
IPS Services is to completely tin up and guard the properties in
question. That's what the Contract is for. There is absolutely no
doubt to anyone who sees these properties from the street that they
are vacant, and the physical infrastructure imposed on them (at
some expense) is specifically designed to prevent entry, criminal
activity, health and safety risks, etc. No reasonable person would
conclude that there a risk of any kind from publication of these
addresses.

Any complaint I raise to inapplicable FOI exemptions such as these
will be accompanied by photographic evidence illustrating the above
argument. It would be preferable not to have to do this, and for
the Council to cease inventing obstructions to a reasonable enquiry
about the conduct of its business in neighbourhoods where people
live, and instead chose to answer requests to the best of its
ability.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Todd.