St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council Reserves

The request was successful.

Dear St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council,

The Local Government Association (LGA) advises that some council reserves “restricted by local agreement to fund certain types of expenditure can be reconsidered or released if the council’s future plans and priorities change” (LGA, A councillor’s workbook on local government finance, March, 2018, page 24).

These reserves are sometimes referred to as “controllable” earmarked reserves.

I have four questions.

1. How much does St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council currently hold in “controllable” earmarked reserves?

2. In principle - i.e. if deemed necessary by councillors - can St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council release/reallocate its “controllable” earmarked reserves and spend them on a once-off basis to support service provision?

3. How much does St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council currently hold in “general” reserves?

4. If deemed necessary by councillors, can St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council spend its “general” reserves on a one-off basis to support service provision?

Yours faithfully,

MR ALEX A SMITH

Contact Centre, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Mr Smith

Thank you for your recent request for information, which will be treated
as a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000/Environmental
Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).

Your enquiry has been given a reference number 20210124-00076-1. Please
quote this reference in any future correspondence with us concerning this
matter.

If the information you are requesting falls under EIR (see [1]here for
more details) then a charge may be applicable in line with [2]guidance
from the Information Commissioner's Office. Once your request has been
reviewed you will be informed of an appropriate charge that may be
applied.

In accordance with the Act, a response will be sent to you within 20
working days from the date following the receipt of the request or receipt
of an applicable payment.

Kind regards,
St. Helens Council
01744 676789

------------------------ Original Email -------------- Received On:
21/01/2021 17:28:45 GMT
Subject:Freedom of Information request - St Helens Metropolitan Borough
Council Reserves

Dear St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, The Local Government
Association (LGA) advises that some council reserves b .restricted by
local agreement to fund certain types of expenditure can be reconsidered
or released if the councilb .s future plans and priorities changeb . (LGA,
A councillorb .s workbook on local government finance, March, 2018, page
24). These reserves are sometimes referred to as b .controllableb .
earmarked reserves. I have four questions. 1. How much does St Helens
Metropolitan Borough Council currently hold in b .controllableb .
earmarked reserves? 2. In principle - i.e. if deemed necessary by
councillors - can St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
release/reallocate its b .controllableb . earmarked reserves and spend
them on a once-off basis to support service provision? 3. How much does St
Helens Metropolitan Borough Council currently hold in b .generalb .
reserves? 4. If deemed necessary by councillors, can St Helens
Metropolitan Borough Council spend its b .generalb . reserves on a one-off
basis to support service provision? Yours faithfully, MR ALEX A SMITH
------------------------------------------------------------------- Please
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[St Helens Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
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show quoted sections

Dear St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request, ' St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council Reserves'.

By law, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council should normally have responded promptly and by 18 February 2021. That date has now passed, but my request has not yet been dealt with. Could I please request an update?

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

Thank you for your help.

Yours faithfully,

MR ALEX A SMITH

Contact Centre, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Mr Smith

Thank you for your recent request for information, which will be treated
as a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000/Environmental
Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).

Your enquiry has been given a reference number 20210219-00316-1. Please
quote this reference in any future correspondence with us concerning this
matter.

If the information you are requesting falls under EIR (see [1]here for
more details) then a charge may be applicable in line with [2]guidance
from the Information Commissioner's Office. Once your request has been
reviewed you will be informed of an appropriate charge that may be
applied.

In accordance with the Act, a response will be sent to you within 20
working days from the date following the receipt of the request or receipt
of an applicable payment.

Kind regards,
St. Helens Council
01744 676789

------------------------ Original Email -------------- Received On:
19/02/2021 13:59:25 GMT
Subject:Internal review of Freedom of Information request - St Helens
Metropolitan Borough Council Reserves

Dear St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, Please pass this on to the
person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews. I am writing to
request an internal review of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council's
handling of my FOI request, ' St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Reserves'. By law, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council should normally
have responded promptly and by 18 February 2021. That date has now passed,
but my request has not yet been dealt with. Could I please request an
update? A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the internet at this address:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...
ng-1103804. Thank you for your help. Yours faithfully, MR ALEX A SMITH
-----Original Message----- Dear Mr Smith Thank you for your recent request
for information, which will be treated as a request under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).
Your enquiry has been given a reference number 20210124-00076-1. Please
quote this reference in any future correspondence with us concerning this
matter. If the information you are requesting falls under EIR (see [1]here
for more details) then a charge may be applicable in line with [2]guidance
from the Information Commissioner's Office. Once your request has been
reviewed you will be informed of an appropriate charge that may be
applied. In accordance with the Act, a response will be sent to you within
20 working days from the date following the receipt of the request or
receipt of an applicable payment. Kind regards, St. Helens Council 01744
676789 ------------------------ Original Email -------------- Received On:
21/01/2021 17:28:45 GMT Subject:Freedom of Information request - St Helens
Metropolitan Borough Council Reserves Dear St Helens Metropolitan Borough
Council, The Local Government Association (LGA) advises that some council
reserves b .restricted by local agreement to fund certain types of
expenditure can be reconsidered or released if the councilb .s future
plans and priorities changeb . (LGA, A councillorb .s workbook on local
government finance, March, 2018, page 24). These reserves are sometimes
referred to as b .controllableb . earmarked reserves. I have four
questions. 1. How much does St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
currently hold in b .controllableb . earmarked reserves? 2. In principle -
i.e. if deemed necessary by councillors - can St Helens Metropolitan
Borough Council release/reallocate its b .controllableb . earmarked
reserves and spend them on a once-off basis to support service provision?
3. How much does St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council currently hold in
b .generalb . reserves? 4. If deemed necessary by councillors, can St
Helens Metropolitan Borough Council spend its b .generalb . reserves on a
one-off basis to support service provision? Yours faithfully, MR ALEX A
SMITH -------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request: [FOI
#720510 email] Is [St Helens Council request email] the wrong address for
Freedom of Information requests to St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council?
If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi... For more detailed guidance on
safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-... Please
note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be
delayed. If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Please
use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #720510 email] Disclaimer: This message and
any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and
copyright policies: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi... For more
detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice
from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-... Please
note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be
delayed. If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

St.Helens Council, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Mr Smith,

 

thank you for your enquiry.

 

I apologise for the delay in receiving the requested information. I have
looked in to this for you and can see that a Council officer responded on
17th February. However, in the system they have selected the "responded to
by letter" option rather than email. This has essentially closed the
record down within our system and recorded the response but it hasn't
generated the email to let you know and provide you with a copy of the
attached letter.

 

I have reopened the action and asked the officer to process it again but
this time selecting email so as to send the response to you.

 

I apolgise for any inconvenience this has caused.

 

Thank you

Cheryl Boland

Senior Information Management Officer

If you disagree with our decision or are otherwise unhappy with how we
have dealt with your request, in the first instance please write to St
Helens Council, Internal Audit, Town Hall, Victoria Square, St Helens,
Merseyside WA10 1HP.
Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you have the right under
Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act to appeal against the
decision by contacting the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

"This e-mail and any file transmitted with it are confidential, subject to
copyright and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to
whom they are addressed. It may contain privileged information. Any
unauthorised review, use, disclosure, distribution or publication is
prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please contact the
sender by reply e-mail and destroy and delete the message and all copies
from your computer. The information contained in this email may be subject
to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or other
legal duty. Any views or opinions expressed within this email are those of
the author and may not necessarily reflect those of the Authority. No
contractual arrangement is intended to arise from this communication."

St.Helens Council, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Smith,

 

Please find attcahed response from St helens Council in relation to your
Fredeom of Information Request.

 

 

 

If you disagree with our decision or are otherwise unhappy with how we
have dealt with your request, in the first instance please write to St
Helens Council, Internal Audit, Town Hall, Victoria Square, St Helens,
Merseyside WA10 1HP.
Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you have the right under
Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act to appeal against the
decision by contacting the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

"This e-mail and any file transmitted with it are confidential, subject to
copyright and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to
whom they are addressed. It may contain privileged information. Any
unauthorised review, use, disclosure, distribution or publication is
prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please contact the
sender by reply e-mail and destroy and delete the message and all copies
from your computer. The information contained in this email may be subject
to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or other
legal duty. Any views or opinions expressed within this email are those of
the author and may not necessarily reflect those of the Authority. No
contractual arrangement is intended to arise from this communication."