Councillor Broadband Allowance

The request was successful.

Dear Hambleton District Council,

I have read your constitution with regard to Councillor Allowances. Most other Councils pay their elected members a small sum that covers the cost of the elected members obtaining a Broadband connection and using it for Council business, but it appears that Hambleton do not.

Could you please clarify if there is a separate Broadband allowance at Hambleton?

If there is no separate allowance are members expected to meet the cost from their basic allowance?

Were members given a small rise in the basic allowance at some point in the past to cover that cost?

If there was a rise, how much was that rise in monetary terms then and how much is it now?

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Sarah Sawyer, Hambleton District Council

Answer below:

There is no separate broadband allowance paid to Members at Hambleton
District Council. There has not been a small rise in the basic allowance
at some point in the past to cover that cost of broadband.

The authority will only pay for broadband if the Member does not already
have broadband at their home in which case the authority would install and
pay for the broadband.

Thanks

Linda

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Linda McKnight

ICT User and Technical Team Leader

Hambleton & Richmondshire District Councils

t: 01609 767272

e: [email address]

w: hambleton.gov.uk | richmondshire.gov.uk

 

Sarah Sawyer
Customer Services Team Leader
Hambleton District Council

Tel: 01609 767137 (direct line) or 0845 1211 555
E-mail: [1][email address]

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Dear Hambleton District Council,

Many thanks for the quick response. Please could you detail the Councillors that have a Broadband connection at their homes that was installed and is currently paid for by Hambleton District Council.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Dear Hambleton District Council,

Please could you also detail the monthly or yearly cost of the scheme per Councillor.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Sarah Sawyer, Hambleton District Council

Unfortunately we have been advised by the Data Commissioners Office that
we would be breeching Data Protection if we provided personal details. We
are therefore unable to provide the information you have requested.

Thanks

Linda

.$B!!.(B

Linda McKnight

ICT User and Technical Team Leader

Hambleton & Richmondshire District Councils

t: 01609 767272

e: [email address]

w: hambleton.gov.uk | richmondshire.gov.uk

 

Sarah Sawyer
Customer Services Team Leader
Hambleton District Council

Tel: 01609 767137 (direct line) or 0845 1211 555
E-mail: [1][email address]

 

 

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Dear Hambleton District Council,

The Broadband arrangements of District Councillors and how much they cost the tax payer are freely available at six of the other eight district councils that comprise North Yorkshire County Council and at North Yorkshire County Council themselves, so I'm a little puzzled why they wouldn't be available at Hambleton District Council. I'm also amazed the Data Commissioners Office responded so quickly to you.

To reiterate my request, all I want to know is which Hambleton District Councillors receive Broadband paid for by Hambleton District Council at their home so they can perform their duties as a district Councillor and what the cost to the tax payer is.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Sarah Sawyer, Hambleton District Council

As explained before we are unable to provide you with names, however we
could provide you with the average broadband cost of those Members and the
number of Members that we provide with broadband.

Thanks

Linda

.$B!!.(B

Linda McKnight

ICT User and Technical Team Leader

Hambleton & Richmondshire District Councils

t: 01609 767272

e: [email address]

w: hambleton.gov.uk | richmondshire.gov.uk

 

Sarah Sawyer
Customer Services Team Leader
Hambleton District Council

Tel: 01609 767137 (direct line) or 0845 1211 555
E-mail: [1][email address]

 

 

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Dear Hambleton District Council,

Please supply those figures at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Sandra Hall, Hambleton District Council

Mr Thorne,

In reply to your Freedom of Information request as below - logged as reference HDC FOI 1992/2012, we provide the following response:

The average broadband cost for the Members who we provide broadband to is £33.59. We provide broadband to 18 Members.

Please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Services on 0845 1211 555 if you have any further queries.

Kind regards, Sandra

Sandra Hall
Customer Services
Hambleton District Council

Tel: 0845 1211 555 or 01609 767101 direct
Fax: 01609 767228
Email: [email address]
www.hambleton.gov.uk

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Dear Hambleton District Council,

Please can you clarify if the £33.59 cost to Hambleton District Council is monthly or per annum.

Please could you also let me know how many of the eighteen Hambleton District Councillors who receive Broadband that is paid for by Hambleton District Council are also elected to North Yorkshire County Council.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Dear Hambleton District Council,

I've not received a reply to my FOI request. I would remind you that, by law, you should have responded to this request by 6th February 2013.

Please can you let me know when you will impart the information requested. If you are not in a position to divulge the information then please let me know when you are able to do so.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Sandra Hall, Hambleton District Council

Mr Thorne,

Regarding your Freedom of Information Request logged as HDC FOI 1960/2012 - it appears from our records that you had a number of follow on enquiries regarding this FOI from 8 January 2013.

Would you please confirm which you are awaiting a response to?

Many thanks, Sandra

Sandra Hall
Customer Services
Hambleton District Council

Tel: 0845 1211 555 or 01609 767101 direct
Fax: 01609 767228
Email: [email address]
www.hambleton.gov.uk

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Dear Hambleton District Council,

For clarification:

Please can you clarify if the £33.59 cost to Hambleton District Council is monthly or per annum.

Please could you also let me know how many of the eighteen Hambleton District Councillors who receive Broadband that is paid for by Hambleton District Council are also elected to North Yorkshire County Council.

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Sandra Hall, Hambleton District Council

Mr Thorne,

With reference to your additional enquiry for the Freedom of Information Request logged as HDC FOI 1960/2012. The IT Section has supplied the following response:

-----

I can confirm that, for the 18 Members that we provide ADSL to, the average cost for ADSL per Member is £33.59 per month.

We are unable to provide the details you requested on the number of Members, if any, that are provided with ADSL by Hambleton District Council who are also North Yorkshire County Council Members. Providing this information could lead to the identifying individuals, which we have been advised by the Information Commissioner's Office, would be a breach of Data Protection.

------

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Services on 0845 1211 555.

Kind regards, Sandra

Sandra Hall
Customer Services
Hambleton District Council

Tel: 0845 1211 555 or 01609 767101 direct
Fax: 01609 767228
Email: [email address]
www.hambleton.gov.uk

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Tim Thorne left an annotation ()

Hambleton District Council refuse to release the names of which Councillors are in receipt of a Broadband connection at their homes that is funded by public money.

Dear Hambleton District Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Hambleton District Council's handling of my FOI request 'Councillor Broadband Allowance'.

I believe that the Council should have released the names of the Councillors who are in receipt of a broadband connection that is funded by public money and they are incorrect in their assessment that this information is covered by the Data Protection Act.

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

Yours faithfully,
Tim Thorne

Martyn Richards, Hambleton District Council

Dear Mr Thorne,
 
I refer to your request for a review in connection with the above Request.
 
I will be  undertaking the review and will contact you in due course.
 
Regards,
 
Martyn Richards
Director of Corporate Services
Hambleton  District Council
Tel 01609 767010 (direct line)
Email; [1][email address]
Website; [2]www.hambleton.gov.uk
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Hambleton District Council, Civic Centre, Stone Cross, Northallerton, DL6
2UU.

References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.hambleton.gov.uk/

Carol Newman, Hambleton District Council

1 Attachment

Good Afternoon  
 
Please find attached a letter from Martyn Richards, Director of Corporate
Services, in response to your request for a review of the Council's
decision.
 
Carol Newman
Secretary/PA

Tel: (01609) 767002 (Direct Line)
Fax: (01609) 767228
Email: [email address]
Website: [1]www.hambleton.gov.uk
 
  ________________________________  
The information contained in this email is confidential. It is intended
only for the stated addressee(s) and access to it by any other person is
unauthorised. If you are not an addressee, you must not disclose, copy,
circulate or in any other way use or rely on the information contained in
this email. Such unauthorised use may be unlawful. If you have received
this email in error, please inform the sender immediately and delete it
and all copies from your system. Any views or opinions expressed are
solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of
Hambleton District Council.

All e-mail traffic may be subject to recording and / or monitoring in
accordance with relevant legislation.

Hambleton District Council, Civic Centre, Stone Cross, Northallerton, DL6
2UU.

References

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1. file:///tmp/www.hambleton.gov.uk

Tim Thorne left an annotation ()

Hambleton DC have further responded to this request by email on 18/10/2013 and this request can now be considered closed.

--- Cut and Paste ---
Dear Mr Thorne,

I refer to your complaint to the Information Commissioner about the Council's decision not to provide information about Members' broadband.

The Commissioner has offered the Council the opportunity to reconsider its position. The Council has done so and, whilst it maintains that its original position fulfilled the requirements of the Act, it has decided that in the spirit of openness and transparency it would be appropriate, on balance, to release the information. I attach the information originally requested by you.

The Information Commissioner has been notified.

Regards,

Martyn Richards
Director of Corporate Services
Hambleton District Council
--- End Cut and Paste ---

Tim Thorne left an annotation ()

There doesn't seem to be any way to upload the file sent to me containing the information for this request. What I will do is make the information available on the Real Whitby website in the next few days and post the link to the file in another annotation.