Minutes of Answers to Oral Questions from the 25th February 2010 Council Meeting

Dear Sir

Thank you for your FOI re. answers to oral questions at Council on 25 February 2010.

We will get back to you within 20 working days of today ie. by 24 May.

Regards

Gary Clift
Democratic Services Manager
01223 457011

Please consider the environment - do you really need to print this
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Dear Mr Taylor

Thank you for your email of 23 April requesting information in relation
to oral questions at the Council meeting of 25 February 2010.

We do hold information falling within the terms of your request, however
we need more time to consider your request. I wish to advise you that we
are considering an exemption under section 36 of the FOIA.

By virtue of section 10 (3), where public authorities have to consider the
balance of the public interest in relation to a request, they do not have
to comply with the request until such time as is reasonable in the
circumstances.

The council has not yet reached a decision on the balance of the public
interest. Due to the need to consider, in all the circumstances of the
case, where the balance of the public interest lies in relation to the
information that you have requested, the council will not be able to
respond to your request in full within 20 working days.

I hope to let you have a response by week beginning 7 June.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
original letter and should be addressed to:

Antoinette Jackson

Cambridge City Council

The Guildhall

Market Square

Cambridge

CB2 3QJ

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,

Eleanor Dent

Cambridge City Council

>>> Richard Taylor <[FOI #33747 email]> 23/04/2010
00:30 >>>
Dear Cambridge City Council,

Could you please release the draft minutes of the answers to oral
questions answered at the Full Council on the 25th of February 2010
along with any written responses to the unreached oral questions
which the council holds.

Despite assurances from the Mayor, and council officers, these
elements of the minutes were not put to the full council on the
22nd of March for confirmation and so have not been proactivly
published.

If you hold any comments / corrections made by councillors to the
minutes I would like either those released too; or if you hold a
corrected version I would be happy if the just the corrected
version was released .

--

Richard Taylor
Cambridge
[1]http://www.rtaylor.co.uk

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Dear Mr Taylor

Apologies that I'd not responded sooner.

I attach a copy in Word of the draft minutes of the Oral Questions put to councillors at the Council meeting on 25/2/10 and the 'final' version (which I've had to have scanned I'm afraid). The final version is produced after the Cllr who answered the question has had the opportunity to comment on the officer draft.
The changes made were to Nos. 5 and 7 (both supplementaries) by Cllr Baker and by Cllr Nimmo-Smith to no. 6 (supplementary).

The matter of recording Oral Questions at Council Meetings will be recommended to the Civic Affairs Committee on 30 June and will make clear how this part of the Council Meeting will be minuted in future and, subject to Councillors agreeing this, will be effective from the Council Meeting on 22 July. Up to this point and despite some Members thinking otherwise, it has not been clear to officers what should be minuted, hence the confusion of the Mayor at the meeting on 22nd April which you refer to. The copies you have received under the FOI request are not part of the official record of the Council Meeting held on 25/2/10.

Gary Clift
Democratic Services Manager
01223 457011

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