Copy of accounts as available for inspection under the Audit Commission Act

The request was partially successful.

Francis Irving

Hi,

I would like a copy of Cambridge City Council's accounts for this year, as available for inspection under section 14 of the Audit Commission Act 1998.

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would not like to inspect the accounts under the Audit Commission Act, but would like you to send me a copy of the accounts under FOI.

Please note that since the accounts are available for inspection by the Audit Commission Act, all of the exemptions under the FOI Act do not apply. For example, the accounts cannot be commercially confidential, as the information is already available to any competitors. This applies likewise to all other exemptions.

Thanks for your help,

Francis

Charity Main, Cambridge City Council

1 Attachment

Dear Francis

Freedom of Information Request

I attach the information you requested under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.

If you are not happy with the way in which your request has been dealt
with please contact Julia Minns, Head of Accounting Services. You may
also contact the Information Commissioner if you are still not happy with
the way your request has been dealt with. The Information
Commissioner’s address is:

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Charity Main
Accountant (Projects and Publications)
Cambridge City Council
Telephone 01223 458152

>>> Francis Irving <[FOI #1102 email]> 10-07-2008
23:12 >>>
Hi,

I would like a copy of Cambridge City Council's accounts for this
year, as available for inspection under section 14 of the Audit
Commission Act 1998.

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would not like to inspect the accounts under the Audit Commission
Act, but would like you to send me a copy of the accounts under
FOI.

Please note that since the accounts are available for inspection by
the Audit Commission Act, all of the exemptions under the FOI Act
do not apply. For example, the accounts cannot be commercially
confidential, as the information is already available to any
competitors. This applies likewise to all other exemptions.

Thanks for your help,

Francis

show quoted sections

Charity Main, Cambridge City Council

1 Attachment

Dear Francis

I note that this request has been categorised as only 'partially
successful.' Please let me know what information you believe you are
missing from your request so that I can endeavour to help you.

Regards

Charity Main
Accountant (Projects and Publications)
Cambridge City Council
Telephone 01223 458152

>>> Charity Main 15-07-2008 09:17 >>>
Dear Francis

Freedom of Information Request

I attach the information you requested under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.

If you are not happy with the way in which your request has been dealt
with please contact Julia Minns, Head of Accounting Services. You may
also contact the Information Commissioner if you are still not happy with
the way your request has been dealt with. The Information
Commissioner’s address is:

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Charity Main
Accountant (Projects and Publications)
Cambridge City Council
Telephone 01223 458152

>>> Francis Irving <[FOI #1102 email]> 10-07-2008
23:12 >>>
Hi,

I would like a copy of Cambridge City Council's accounts for this
year, as available for inspection under section 14 of the Audit
Commission Act 1998.

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would not like to inspect the accounts under the Audit Commission
Act, but would like you to send me a copy of the accounts under
FOI.

Please note that since the accounts are available for inspection by
the Audit Commission Act, all of the exemptions under the FOI Act
do not apply. For example, the accounts cannot be commercially
confidential, as the information is already available to any
competitors. This applies likewise to all other exemptions.

Thanks for your help,

Francis

show quoted sections

Francis Irving

Dear Charity Main,

These are overview accounts, but I was hoping for more details that might be available by inspection. In particular:

* More detailed breakdown of expenditure. For example, names and values of individual IT contracts, what they were for, and the organisation they were with.

* Receipts and invoices.

Yours sincerely,

Francis

Charity Main, Cambridge City Council

3 Attachments

Dear Francis Irving

The Statement Of Accounts as referred to in Section 14 of the Audit
Commission Act have a very prescriptive and summarised format as laid down
in the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United
Kingdom 2007.

I have attached some more detailed information on the Council's Statement
of Accounts for 2007-08.

The Income and Expenditure account summary splits gross income and
expenditure as reported on page 7 of the accounts into divisions of
service. The General Fund report is extracted from our financial
management system and shows income (R) and expenditure (E) for each
division of service by cost centre.

I have also attached a report from our financial management system showing
the detail behind the balance sheet presented on page 10 of the Statement
of Accounts.

The Council processes hundreds of thousands of receipts and invoices
during each financial year. Copies of all of these could not be provided
within the time scales laid down in the Freedom of Information Act.

If you are an elector of Cambridge you may visit the Council and inspect
the accounts and supporting papers (including invoices, receipts and
contracts) under the Audit Commission Act. Details of the period of
inspection this year can be found on our website at

[1]http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/...
If you require any further information then please contact me.

Regards

Charity Main
Accountant (Projects and Publications)
Cambridge City Council
Telephone 01223 458152
>>> Francis Irving <[FOI #1102 email]> 16-07-2008
19:36 >>>
Dear Charity Main,

These are overview accounts, but I was hoping for more details that
might be available by inspection. In particular:

* More detailed breakdown of expenditure. For example, names and
values of individual IT contracts, what they were for, and the
organisation they were with.

* Receipts and invoices.

Yours sincerely,

Francis

show quoted sections

Paul Waller left an annotation ()

"If you are an elector of Cambridge you may visit the Council and inspect the accounts and supporting papers (including invoices, receipts and contracts) under the Audit Commission Act. Details of the period of inspection this year can be found on our website at.."

Misleading/false statement. It is not neccessary to be local elector, during the period of inspection records should be made available to ANY interested person.

Francis Irving left an annotation ()

Now is the time to visit to view these accounts...

http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/cambridge-city-...

Richard Taylor left an annotation ()

I went to view the accounts and have written an article on my experience:

http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/looking-at-some...