LGO investigations.

Trevor R Nunn made this Freedom of Information request to Bexley Borough Council

The request was successful.

From: Trevor R Nunn

7 January 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

During the last five years how many times has the Local Government
Ombudsman (as a result of investigating a complaint against Bexley
Borough Council) brought to the attention of the council the fact
that a member of Bexley Borough Council staff had misled them, lied
to them or done anything else to hinder their investigation. If
they have what disciplinary action was taken against the
individual(s) concerned by the council.

Yours faithfully,

Trevor R Nunn

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From: Freedom of Information
Bexley Borough Council

10 January 2009

Dear Trevor R Nunn,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST
LGO investigations - Bexley -our reference 9/006

I acknowledge your request for information received on 8th January 2009.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined
by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not
being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an
assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the
information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the
case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not
to release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the
case.

There may a fee payable for this information. This will be considered
and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must
be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working
day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Local
Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer, Bexley Local
Studies and Archive Centre, Central Library, Townley Road, Bexleyheath,
Kent DA6 7HJ.

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at: Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

John Grosvenor

Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

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From: Grosvenor, John
Bexley Borough Council

5 February 2009

Dear Mr Nunn,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Your request for information has now been considered. The London Borough
of Bexley is not aware of any instance of the circumstances that you
have described. Therefore, there are no instances of consequential
disciplinary action.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request please contact
Mr Chris Loynes, Head of Citizenship and Member's Services, Room 338,
Civic Offices, London Borough of Bexley, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent,
DA6 7LB.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

John Grosvenor

Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

show quoted sections

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Trevor R Nunn left an annotation ( 7 August 2009)

I submitted this FOI request to every English Council. I have now collated the results and the full story can be read here

http://ombudsmanwatchers.org.uk/evidence...

Link to this

Sean Peet left an annotation ( 2 November 2009)

Bexley Council WERE subject to an LGO investigation this year. The investigation resulted after the Council TWICE threatened to sue me for payment for work they hadn't done.
The LGO found in my favour and awarded £150 compensation which the Council agreed to pay.
No apology was forthcoming and for some unknown reason the LGO refused to order Bexley Council to apologise for its threatening behaviour.
The Council's evidence was essentially a pack of lies. The LGO recognised this, [but only after I had pointed this out to them], but euphemistically referred to their lies as 'inaccuracies'.
It would be correct to say that this Council lies with impunity and has little or no respect for the LGO.
Sean Peet
Bexley

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Trevor R Nunn left an annotation ( 2 November 2009)

Sean, your experience of the system of administrative justice is typical of what many others have found. Council officers can lie with impunity because the LGO will always find a way to excuse their behaviour. Probably because most of them are ex council officers. The most common tactic used by the LGO if they can't ignore it is to label it as anything but a lie. However, if the LGO don't bring the issue to the attention of councillors how are the elected members expected to take disciplinary action?

Link to this

Trevor R Nunn left an annotation ( 2 November 2009)

A full picture is slowly building up of the relationship between the LGO and councils. Here is another recent annotation regarding another council.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/lg...

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Sean Peet left an annotation ( 3 November 2009)

Trevor
The LGO said they would be 'discussing' Bexley Council's 'inaccuracies', i.e. lies and deception, with them but when I asked for copies of that correspondence they have simply ignored my emails.
It is also obvious from the missing correspondence in the bundle the LGO sent me after the decision had been reached that the £150 fine was agreed in separate correspondence with the Council.
The LGO claimed when taking on the complaint that the whole process would be 'open and transparent'. Of course the opposite is true.
Sean
Sean Peet
Bexley
Email: seanpeet@yahoo.com

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Trevor R Nunn left an annotation ( 3 November 2009)

Sean, whilst the LGO have an FOI exemption as far as information collected during an investigation is concerned a council does not.I suggest you submit a joint FOI and SAR Data Protection request to your council for the information. Unfortunately you cannot use this site for Data Protection requests so you would have to use snail mail. It worked for me. More info about both Acts and your rights to personal and other information here

http://www.ico.gov.uk/

More info about the LGO here

http://ombudsmanwatchers.org.uk/

Link to this

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