Records relating to fees paid to Russell or Boulton on 4 Aug 2010

The request was successful.

Matthew Pearce

Dear University of East Anglia,

I am aware of fees paid by the University to each of Sir Muir Russell and Professor G.S. Boulton on 4 August 2010.

04/08/2010 G.S. Boulton 21,938.00 professional fees
04/08/2010 Muir Russell 40,000.00 professional fees

I am interested in seeing all records relating to either the claim or payment of either of these fees.

I am particularly interested in seeing
• all UEA forms or other financial source documents used either to raise or process the claims relating to either of these payments,
• a copy of the relevant UEA financial regulations governing the classification and processing of either of these transactions
• any other records either querying, discussing, supporting, explaining, confirming, authorising or in any other way related either to the manner in which these specific payments have actually been classified or processed through your accounts or any other manner in which they might otherwise have been classified or processed
• any record that discloses either the date or the nature or the names of the parties or the names or positions held by any of the authorised signatories to any obligation that led to the university making either of these payments including whether any obligation was ever subsequently amended in any way.

If any of the requested information is withheld for any reason, I nevertheless want you to reveal as much as you can about those records including the nature and date of those records.

Please provide this information in electronic format.
Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Matthew Pearce

Freedom of Information, University of East Anglia

1 Attachment

Mr.Pearce,

Please find attached a letter acknowledging your request received
yesterday, 2 June 2011. The letter also contains further information
regarding the handling of this request under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.

We will be in contact with you further in the near future.

Yours sincerely, Dave Palmer

____________________________

David Palmer

Information Policy & Compliance Manager

University of East Anglia

Norwich, England

NR4 7TJ

Information Services

Tel: +44 (0)1603 593523

Fax: +44 (0)1603 591010

Freedom of Information, University of East Anglia

2 Attachments

Mr. Pearce,

Attached please find a response to your request received by us on 2 June
2011. Please note that there is one (1) .zip file attached to this email
which comprises part of our response. If you have any further questions,
do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely, Dave Palmer

____________________________

David Palmer

Information Policy & Compliance Manager

University of East Anglia

Norwich, England

NR4 7TJ

Information Services

Tel: +44 (0)1603 593523

Fax: +44 (0)1603 591010

Matthew Pearce

Dear Mr Palmer,

Thank you for your quick response.

I wonder if you would clarify a few points please:

The guidance note for UEA5 that you provided makes it very clear that an invoice should have been attached to each claim. Has this been omitted from your response?

In the absence of any invoice and absence of any other written information relevant to any contract that might support self-employment it appears that you may not have provided the relevant financial regulation covering the manner in which these two claims have been approved for payment. Are there any other relevant financial regulations which apply here?

Sir Muir Russell's claim clearly indicates that he believed he had been providing a service for an agreed fee. Have you included all records relating to this agreement?

Sir Muir Russell believed he had the capacity to approve Professor Boulton's claim for payment. Is there any record that this approval was either necessary or relevant?

In a previous FOI response I think you have indicated that the University either sought or received advice regarding the nature of the relationship between Sir Muir Russell and the University.

Any such advice either sought or received or any record of the exact nature of any relationship between Sir Muir Russell and the University including any record of the existence of a Public Appointment might have had a bearing on the manner in which these claims for payment should have been processed.

Have you included all records relating to the existence of any relationship or any request or receipt of advice relating to the nature of any relationship between Sir Muir Russell and the University?

If (1) neither of these payments was adequately covered by any existing financial regulation and (2) there is no record of any obligation on the University to have made either of these payments and (3) no tax was witheld on either payment, is your finance controller comfortable that there is apparently no record of anyone ever having queried or justfied the manner in which either of these payments should have been processed?

I thank you in advance for providing any further clarification.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Pearce

Matthew Pearce

Dear University of East Anglia,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of University of East Anglia's handling of my FOI request 'Records relating to fees paid to Russell or Boulton on 4 Aug 2010'.

To avoid any doubt, I am resubmitting my previous request to David Palmer (submitted yesterday) for clarification as a request for internal review. This is because all of the clarification sought relates to information that was covered by my original request.

Here is the clarification I am after, amended only by the addition of numbering.

1. The guidance note for UEA5 that you provided makes it very clear that an invoice should have been attached to each claim. Has this been omitted from your response?

2. In the absence of any invoice and absence of any other written information relevant to any contract that might support self-employment it appears that you may not have provided the relevant financial regulation covering the manner in which these two claims have been approved for payment. Are there any other relevant financial regulations which apply here?

3. Sir Muir Russell's claim clearly indicates that he believed he had been providing a service for an agreed fee. Have you included all records relating to this agreement?

4. Sir Muir Russell believed he had the capacity to approve Professor Boulton's claim for payment. Is there any record that this approval was either necessary or relevant?

5. In a previous FOI response I think you have indicated that the University either sought or received advice regarding the nature of the relationship between Sir Muir Russell and the University.

Any such advice either sought or received or any record of the exact nature of any relationship between Sir Muir Russell and the University including any record of the existence of a Public Appointment might have had a bearing on the manner in which these claims for payment should have been processed.

Have you included all records relating to the existence of any relationship or any request or receipt of advice relating to the nature of any relationship between Sir Muir Russell and the University?

7. If (1) neither of these payments was adequately covered by any existing financial regulation and (2) there is no record of any obligation on the University to have made either of these payments and (3) no tax was witheld on either payment, is your finance controller comfortable that there is apparently no record of anyone ever having queried or justfied the manner in which either of these payments should have been processed?

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

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Matthew Pearce

Freedom of Information, University of East Anglia

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Pearce,

Further to your email of 23 June 2011, attached please find an acknowledgement of your appeal of our response of 22 June 2011.

We will be in contact with you further in due course

Kind regards,
Jane Baker

(On behalf of Dave Palmer, Information Policy & Compliance Manager)

*****************************************************
Jane Baker
LaRC Co-ordinator / Blackboard support / Information Policy support
Learning and Resources Centre (LaRC)
Library
UEA
Norwich NR4 7TJ
01603 59 3483
 
For LaRC enquiries please email [email address]
For Blackboard enquiries please email the Staff or Student IT Helpdesk [email address] or [email address]
 
My office days are Wednesday to Friday
Bob Heath is in the office Mondays and Tuesdays
 
Information Services

Dear David Palmer,

As I have heard nothing from you within the promised 20 days, you are in danger of exceeding the time allowed for conducting your review.

I should say that I had no idea that the records I am after would pose a problem but I am neverthless grateful if the time you are taking means that you are undertaking a really thorough review.

Please would you give me an update on the status of your review and whether or not you are at all likely to be able to track down any of Sir Muir Russell's invoice, the nature of his contract or employment status, any record of there having been a public appointment and which of your financial regulations covered the manner in which he was paid i.e either as a temporary employee or as a sub-contractor.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Pearce

Dear University of East Anglia,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST
(Your Ref: FOI_11-124)

Following your letter of acknowledgement of my appeal on 24 June and my subsequent prompt to you on 21 July it seems you may now be in breach of your FOIA obligation to complete your review within the laid down time.

I urge you to respond to my appeal and publish the status or outcome of your review and if necessary indicate why you think more time is required.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Matthew Pearce

Freedom of Information, University of East Anglia

1 Attachment

Mr. Pearce,
Thank you for your email of today's date and of 21 July 2011. Attached please find a response from Thomas Ward, Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic with an update on the progress of this matter.

Yours sincerely, Dave Palmer

____________________________
David Palmer
Information Policy & Compliance Manager
University of East Anglia
Norwich, England
NR4 7TJ

Information Services
Tel: +44 (0)1603 593523
Fax: +44 (0)1603 591010

show quoted sections

Freedom of Information, University of East Anglia

2 Attachments

Dear Mr. Pearce,

Please find attached a response from Professor Tom Ward,
Pro-Vice-Chancellor - Academic, to your request of 24 June 2011 seeking an
internal review of your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please note that there is one (1) .zip file attached in addition to our
response letter which comprises part of our response.

Yours sincerely, Dave Palmer

____________________________

David Palmer

Information Policy & Compliance Manager

University of East Anglia

Norwich, England

NR4 7TJ

Information Services

Tel: +44 (0)1603 593523

Fax: +44 (0)1603 591010