Ombudsman and ICO

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to know how many times over each of the last three
years each of the Local Commissioner's has been provided with
information from the Information Commissioner as enabled by the
Freedom of Information Act. I would further like to know how many
of these information 'presents' resulted in an investigation, and
what the outcome of the investigation was using the categorisation
used in the Ombudsman's Annual Letters to Council's.

I would also like to know how many times a Council took more than
20 days to respond an Ombudsman's request for information as part
of an investigation and broke the Freedom of Information Act for
each year over the last three years. I would further request that
the Council's that broke the Freedom of Information Act are named
for each year.

I would further like to know how many other breaches of the Freedom
of Information Act were recorded by the Ombudsmen against Council's
for each of the last three years, identification of the breach and
identification of the Council.

I would additionally like to know how many times the Ombudsmen (by
Ombudsman) informed the Information Commissioner of breaches of the
Freedom of Information Act by Councils for each of the last three
years, and the name of the Council's.

I would particularly like to know how many times the LGO has
identified to the IcO that a Council has breached s77 of the FoI (I
am aware of at least one case with the Ombudsman where a potential
claim exists, and relates to information supplied to the Ombudsman
by a Council Solicitor). It would appear to be at the Ombudsman's
discretion if the Information Commissioner should have the
opportunity to prosecute the offence of the Council. I would also
appreciate clarification as to how many failures of Council's to
respond properly to the LGO have led to practice recommendations by
the Information Commissioner.

I would finally request copies of any correspondence between the
Information Commissioner and any of the local commissioners or the
Commission for Local Administration in England seeking a common
understanding if a council breaking the law under FoI is an act of
maladministration causing injustice, and any draft memoranda of
understanding or other documents exchanged between the Information
Commissioner and the various Ombudsmen.

Yours faithfully,

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS