Authorisation of Non Disclosure Agreements since January 2009

The request was partially successful.

Dear Merthyr Tydfil Council,

I shall be grateful if you will confirm the designation(s) of the the Officer(s) and/or member(s) who have been responsible for authorising/approving the issue of each Non Disclosure Agreement since January 2012.

How much has it cost the LA each year to fund these agreements.

How many NDAs have been issued each year.

How many NDAs were offered to employees but declined each year.

How many employees were dismissed having declined the offer to sign an NDA for each year.

How many of those who declined, and were dimissed, resulted in the LA having to attend an Employment Tribunal as respondent.

How much expenditure did the LA incur to attend and defend the LA at each ET.

For the purpose of this request the definition of NDAs also include Compromise Agreements, Severance Agreements, Gagging Orders.

Yours faithfully,

Geoff Jones

FOI (Freedom of Information), Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam

 

RE:     Freedom Of Information Act 2000 – INFORMATION Request

 

Further to the request email on the 24^th July 2019 regarding NDAs, we
cannot sufficiently identify the information you have requested from the
details you have provided.  To help us respond to your request could you
please clarify the following point:

 

In your request you ask for information on NDAs but also want to include
Compromise Agreements, Severance Agreements, Gagging Orders. These are
different from NDAs and wouldn’t give an accurate reflection if we
included them as NDAs. Can you please clarify what you exactly are asking
for please?

 

Once we receive this we will consider your request and you will receive
the information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working
days, unless the information is exempt or we require additional time to
consider whether disclosure is in the public interest in accordance with
Section 2 of the Freedom of Information Act.

 

You can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office (Wales)

2^nd Floor,

Churchill House,

Churchill Way,

Cardiff

CF10 2HH

 

Tel: 0330 414 6421 

Email: [1][email address]

Website: [2]www.ico.org.uk

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Data
Disclosure and Records Officer on 01685 725000.

Yours faithfully

 

Swyddog Datgelu Data a Chofnodion/Data Disclosure and Records Officer

Tîm Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth/Information Governance Team

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
Council

 

Canolfan Dinesig/Civic Centre

Stryd Y Castell/Castle Street

Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil

CF47 8AN/CF47 8AN

Ffon/Tel: 01685 725000

E-bost/E-mail: [3][Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]

 

Croesawn ni ohebu yn y Gymraeg/We welcome correspondence in Welsh.

Croesawn ohebu yn Gymraeg a fydd hyn ddim yn arwain at oedi.

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn gyfrinachol
ac wedi'u bwriadu ar gyfer pwy bynnag y cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost hwn cynrychioli barn y sawl a enwir uchod, felly nid
ydyw'n dilyn ei fod yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr
Tudful.

Darllenwch ein [4]hysbysiadau preifatrwydd i ddarganfod mwy am sut rydym
yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth bersonol.

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful
Canolfan Dinesig
Stryd Y Castell
Merthyr Tudful
CF47 8AN

Teleffon: 01685 725000

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to a delay.

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed. The contents of this e-mail represent the views of the
individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent the views of
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.

Please read our [5]privacy notices to find out more about how we use your
personal information.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Civic Centre
Castle Street
Merthyr Tydfil
CF47 8AN

Telephone: 01685 725000

[6]http://www.merthyr.gov.uk

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/
3. mailto:[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]
4. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
5. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
6. http://www.merthyr.gov.uk/

Dear FOI (Freedom of Information),

Further to your recent response for clarification purposes I shall be grateful if you will provide the information requested for
Non Disclosure Agreements
Compromise Agreements
Settlement Agreements
Severance Agreements

Basically, any agreement that acts as a contract that aims to protect an employer from being taken to an Employment Tribunal.

I trust that this clarification is to your understanding

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Jones

FOI (Freedom of Information), Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam

 

RE:     Freedom Of Information Act 2000 – INFORMATION Request

 

The Council acknowledges your clarification received on the 29^th July
2019.

 

We are considering your request and you will receive the Councils full
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days in this
instance no later than the 27^th August 2019, unless the information is
exempt or we require additional time to consider whether disclosure is in
the public interest in accordance with Section 2 of the Freedom of
Information Act.  

 

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Data
Disclosure and Records Officer on 01685 725000. You can find out more
about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office (Wales)

2^nd Floor

Churchill House

Churchill Way

Cardiff

CF10 2HH

 

Tel: 0330 414 6421 

Email: [1][email address]

Website: [2]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours faithfully

 

Swyddog Datgelu Data a Chofnodion/Data Disclosure and Records Officer

Tîm Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth/Information Governance Team

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
Council

 

Canolfan Dinesig/Civic Centre

Stryd Y Castell/Castle Street

Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil

CF47 8AN/CF47 8AN

Ffon/Tel: 01685 725000

E-bost/E-mail: [3][Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]

 

Croesawn ni ohebu yn y Gymraeg/We welcome correspondence in Welsh.

Croesawn ohebu yn Gymraeg a fydd hyn ddim yn arwain at oedi.

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn gyfrinachol
ac wedi'u bwriadu ar gyfer pwy bynnag y cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost hwn cynrychioli barn y sawl a enwir uchod, felly nid
ydyw'n dilyn ei fod yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr
Tudful.

Darllenwch ein [4]hysbysiadau preifatrwydd i ddarganfod mwy am sut rydym
yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth bersonol.

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful
Canolfan Dinesig
Stryd Y Castell
Merthyr Tudful
CF47 8AN

Teleffon: 01685 725000

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to a delay.

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed. The contents of this e-mail represent the views of the
individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent the views of
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.

Please read our [5]privacy notices to find out more about how we use your
personal information.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Civic Centre
Castle Street
Merthyr Tydfil
CF47 8AN

Telephone: 01685 725000

[6]http://www.merthyr.gov.uk

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/
3. mailto:[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]
4. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
5. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
6. http://www.merthyr.gov.uk/

FOI (Freedom of Information), Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

 

Dear Sir/Madam

RE:     Freedom Of Information Act 2000 – INFORMATION Request

We have considered your request and provide the following information:

 

I shall be grateful if you will confirm the designation(s) of the the
Officer(s) and/or member(s) who have been responsible for
authorising/approving the issue of each Non Disclosure Agreements
Compromise Agreements Settlement Agreements Severance Agreements since
January 2012. 

 

Senior Solicitor or above.

 

How much has it cost the LA each year to fund these agreements.

 

1^st April 2012 – 31st March 2013 - £263,077.38

1^st April 2013 – 31st March 2014 - £234,127.00

1^st April 2014 – 31st March 2015 - £58,269.46

1^st April 2015 – 31^st March 2016 - £145,970.00

1^st April 2016 – 31^st March 2017 - £224,996.43

1^st April 2017 – 31^st March 2018 - £188,700.72

1^st April 2018 – 31^st March 2019 - £134,349.04

 

How many Non Disclosure Agreements Compromise Agreements Settlement
Agreements Severance Agreements have been issued each year. 

 

1^st April 2012 – 31st March 2013 - 7

1^st April 2013 – 31st March 2014 - 5

1^st April 2014 – 31st March 2015 - 5

1^st April 2015 – 31^st March 2016 - 5

1^st April 2016 – 31^st March 2017 - 9

1^st April 2017 – 31^st March 2018 - 8

1^st April 2018 – 31^st March 2019 - 10

 

How many Non Disclosure Agreements Compromise Agreements Settlement
Agreements Severance Agreements were offered to employees but declined
each year.

 

None.

 

How many employees were dismissed having declined the offer to sign an Non
Disclosure Agreements Compromise Agreements Settlement Agreements
Severance Agreements for each year.

 

None.

 

How many of those who declined, and were dimissed,  resulted in the LA
having to attend an Employment Tribunal as respondent.

 

None.

 

How much expenditure did the LA incur to attend and defend the LA at each
ET.

 

None.

 

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your
own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for
the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial
publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most
documents supplied by this department will have been produced by
government officials and will be Crown Copyright. You can find details on
the arrangements for re-using Crown copyright from [1]The National
Archives.

 

We supply this based on your original request. If this is not what you
wanted or if you feel we have not fully understood your request please do
not hesitate to contact us to clarify your exact requirements. If you have
any queries or concerns or are in any way dissatisfied with the handling
of your request and you wish to make a complaint please contact the
Information Governance Team on 01685 725000 or [2][Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]. If
you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint please contact
the Councils Complaints Team on 01685 725000 or
[3][email address], alternatively you may wish to submit a
complaint using the Councils [4]online complaints form. You can find out
more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office (Wales)

2^nd Floor

Churchill House

Churchill Way

Cardiff

CF10 2HH

 

Tel: 0330 414 6421 

Email: [5][email address]

Website: [6]www.ico.org.uk

Responses to completed requests for information are published online
within our disclosure log. Our disclosure log is located on our external
website ([7]www.merthyr.gov.uk). Please click [8]HERE to view our
disclosure log.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Swyddog Datgelu Data a Chofnodion/Data Disclosure and Records Officer

Tîm Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth/Information Governance Team

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
Council

 

Canolfan Dinesig/Civic Centre

Stryd Y Castell/Castle Street

Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil

CF47 8AN/CF47 8AN

Ffon/Tel: 01685 725000

E-bost/E-mail: [9][Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]

 

Croesawn ni ohebu yn y Gymraeg/We welcome correspondence in Welsh.

Croesawn ohebu yn Gymraeg a fydd hyn ddim yn arwain at oedi.

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn gyfrinachol
ac wedi'u bwriadu ar gyfer pwy bynnag y cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost hwn cynrychioli barn y sawl a enwir uchod, felly nid
ydyw'n dilyn ei fod yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr
Tudful.

Darllenwch ein [10]hysbysiadau preifatrwydd i ddarganfod mwy am sut rydym
yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth bersonol.

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful
Canolfan Dinesig
Stryd Y Castell
Merthyr Tudful
CF47 8AN

Teleffon: 01685 725000

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to a delay.

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed. The contents of this e-mail represent the views of the
individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent the views of
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.

Please read our [11]privacy notices to find out more about how we use your
personal information.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Civic Centre
Castle Street
Merthyr Tydfil
CF47 8AN

Telephone: 01685 725000

[12]http://www.merthyr.gov.uk

References

Visible links
1. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. https://eform.merthyr.gov.uk/default.asp...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. http://www.ico.org.uk/
7. http://www.merthyr.gov.uk/
8. http://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-p...
9. mailto:[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council request email]
10. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
11. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
12. http://www.merthyr.gov.uk/

Dear Merthyr Tydfil Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Merthyr Tydfil Council's handling of my FOI request 'Authorisation of Non Disclosure Agreements since January 2009'.

Your response is partially untrue:

A NDA was offered to Chris Jones in June 2016

He refused to accept it.

He was unfairly dismissed in January 2017 following a fabricated SOSR investigation. This was the only occurence of a dismissal for Some Other Substantial Reason in the last 10 years.

The LA as respondent, represented by legal council, attended an Employment Tribunal over 3 days from 1st May to 3rd May 2018.

Will you please confirm tha above facts and provide correct responses to my request.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a...

Yours faithfully,

Geoff Jones

Bishop, Sam, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Dear Sirs

RE:     Freedom Of Information Act 2000 – INFORMATION Request

 

We have considered your request to review and apologies we seem to have
misunderstood your original question, we initially thought that you were
requesting the number of employees who have been dismissed for refusal to
sign a non-disclosure agreement. We can confirm that we do not hold
information on employees who have refused to sign a non-disclosure
agreement as we have no lawful basis to hold this data, therefore this
information would have been destroyed.

 

We are sorry that we cannot help further on this occasion but if you are
in any way dissatisfied with the handling of your request, or have any
further information needs in the future then please contact the Data
Disclosure and Records Officer on 01685 725000. You have the right to
appeal against our decision. If you wish to appeal please set out in
writing your grounds of appeal and send to:

 

Data Protection Officer

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Civic Centre

Castle Street

Merthyr Tydfil

CF47 8AN

 

Tel: 01685 725000

Fax: 01685 725060

Email: [1][email address]

 

You can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner’s Office (Wales) 2nd Floor Churchill House
Churchill Way Cardiff

CF10 2HH

 

Tel: 0330 414 6421

Email: [2][email address]

Website: [3]www.ico.org.uk

 

Kind regards,

 

Swyddog Datgelu Data a Chofnodion/Data Disclosure and Records Officer

Tîm Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth/Information Governance Team

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
Council

Croesawn ni ohebu yn y Gymraeg/We welcome correspondence in Welsh.

 

Please read our [4]privacy notices to find out more about how we use your
personal information.

 

Croesawn ohebu yn Gymraeg a fydd hyn ddim yn arwain at oedi.

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn gyfrinachol
ac wedi'u bwriadu ar gyfer pwy bynnag y cyfeirir ef ato neu atynt. Mae
cynnwys yr e-bost hwn cynrychioli barn y sawl a enwir uchod, felly nid
ydyw'n dilyn ei fod yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr
Tudful.

Darllenwch ein [5]hysbysiadau preifatrwydd i ddarganfod mwy am sut rydym
yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth bersonol.

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful
Canolfan Dinesig
Stryd Y Castell
Merthyr Tudful
CF47 8AN

Teleffon: 01685 725000

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to a delay.

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed. The contents of this e-mail represent the views of the
individual(s) named above and do not necessarily represent the views of
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.

Please read our [6]privacy notices to find out more about how we use your
personal information.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Civic Centre
Castle Street
Merthyr Tydfil
CF47 8AN

Telephone: 01685 725000

[7]http://www.merthyr.gov.uk

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.ico.org.uk/
4. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
5. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
6. https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/council/data-...
7. http://www.merthyr.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Bishop,
I note that you state that my request was misunderstood because it was thought that I was asking how many staff were dismissed for refusing to sign a NDA.

I am sorry, but it is not possible to fairly dismiss an employee on the grounds of failure to sign a NDA.

You maintain that no record is kept for employees who have refused to sign a NDA and then been dismissed at a later time for whatever the reason.

The LA must have a record of all NDAs offered to employees because they have to be signed off by a Senior Officer before they are offered.

The LA MUST maintain these records for financial purposes if nothing else.

For goodness sake, this is a simple request. I must assume that Chris Jones was the only employee to be dismissed from his employment following a fabricated SOSR investigation and having refused to accept an offer of a settlement agreement.

I wish to appeal against the withholding of this information and ask that you treat this as an official complaint to the Council

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Jones

Dear Bishop, Sam,

Please confirm that my complaint has been referred to the Complaints Dept

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Jones

Bishop, Sam, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

1 Attachment

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Dear Mr Jones,

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Councils Complaints Department do not handle issues around Freedom of Information, Environmental Information Regulations or Data Protection as explained in the attached complaints policy. If you have a concern or issue with the information we have provided you I would suggest that you contact the Information Commissioner on the details below:

Information Commissioner’s Office (Wales)
2nd Floor
Churchill House
Churchill Way
Cardiff
CF10 2HH

Tel: 0330 414 6421
Email: [email address]
Website: www.ico.org.uk

We do not self refer ourselves to the Information Commissioner or to our Complaints Departments.

Kind regards,
Sam

Samuel Bishop
Swyddog Datgelu Data a Chofnodion/Data Disclosure and Records Officer
Tîm Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth/Information Governance Team
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Croesawn ni ohebu yn y Gymraeg/We welcome correspondence in Welsh.

Please read our privacy notices to find out more about how we use your personal information.

show quoted sections

Dear Bishop, Sam,

Ok.

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Jones