Advice to Councillors on register of gifts

The request was partially successful.

Dear City of York Council,

Please provide the complete advice and instructions given to councillors to register offers of gifts and hospitality.

Please provide the most recent advice and confirm the date of it.

Please provide also the previous two versions of this advice and the dates of that advice.

Thank you in anticipation.

Yours

Matthew Laverack

foi@york.gov.uk, City of York Council

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o The timescale for responding to requests for a review, of responses to your rights regarding personal data, is up to 1 month. You are also able to contact the Information Commissioner, contact details below:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Or email: [email address]<mailto:[email address]> (please include your telephone number in your email)

Regards
Customer Feedback Team

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Clark, Laura, City of York Council

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Good Afternoon Mr Laverack,

Please see attached.

Kind Regards,

Laura

Laura Clark | Democratic & Civic Services Manager
t: 01904 552207 | e: [email address]

City of York Council | Customer and Corporate Services
Second Floor, West Offices | Station Rise | York YO1 6GA
www.york.gov.uk | facebook.com/cityofyork | @CityofYork

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Matthew Laverack

Dear Clark, Laura,

Please undertake an internal review.

Is this really all that members are told when advising them of their responsibilities?
What about the frequency of when they should record offers of gifts or acceptance of gifts? How often are they supposed to do it? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly?

I never see any offers of hospitality refused on their records? Have any offers ever been refused by any councillor? If so please provide details.

It is not credible that no copy of the last two versions of the constitution is held in recorded form. It must be in agendas of committees as it was updated. Please seek it out and provide it.

Thank you in anticipation.

Yours

Matthew Laverack

foi@york.gov.uk, City of York Council

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Dear Mr Laverack,
 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
 
Thank you for your email dated the 15^th March 2019, outlining your
concerns regard the way the council has responded to your FOIA Request.
 
The council is looking into your concerns; however due to unforeseen
absences the council is unable to complete our review by the due date of
the 12^th April.
 
Please be assured that we are working with service to investigate and will
have an update for you by Thursday next week, the 18^th April.
 
Regards
 
City of York Council  | Information Governance, Complaints and Feedback
Team
West Offices | Station Rise | York YO1 6GA
[1]www.york.gov.uk | [2]facebook.com/cityofyork | [3]@CityofYork
 
 
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foi@york.gov.uk, City of York Council

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Dear Mr Laverack,
 
Please see below the outcome of the review into this Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) request, as per email dated 15^th March 2019.
 
The council acknowledges that this review response has not been provided
to you in a timely manner; please accept the council’s apologies for the
delay in responding to you.
 
The council considers the points below as part of an internal review;
please see below for response to these points.
 
Is this really all that members are told when advising them of their
responsibilities?
The information provided to you in the response dated the 14^th March, was
an extract form the councils Constitution and is the advice that is
provided to the councillors. All councillors upon election are directed to
Section 5: Codes and Protocols 5A: Members Code of Conduct, of the
councils Constitution.
 
Therefore this part of your review is not upheld.
 
It is not credible that no copy of the last two versions of the
constitution is held in recorded form.  It must be in agendas of
committees as it was updated.  Please seek it out and provide it.
The constitution is not held in its previous form once amendments have
been made, therefore this information is not held. Once updated it is
published here:
[1]https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ecSDDispla...
Therefore this part of your review is not upheld.
 
The council considers the following points to be new request for
information, as they were not included in the original request. However,
as part of the review process service has provided responses to these
point, see below:
 
What about the frequency of when they should record offers of gifts or
acceptance of gifts?  How often are they supposed to do it?  Daily?
Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly?
Members are able to update their register of interests as and when they
deem it’s necessary. Members who are offered hospitality more frequently.
i.e. Leader/Deputy Leader will update in bulk once a month or so.
 
I never see any offers of hospitality refused on their records?  Have any
offers ever been refused by any councillor?  If so please provide details.
Members are required to register gifts/hospitality they receive, not
offers made, therefore this information is not held.
 
If you remain dissatisfied you can now contact the Information
Commissioner, contact details below:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a
national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Or email: [2][email address] (please include your telephone number)
 
Yours sincerely
 
City of York Council  | Information Governance, Complaints and Feedback
Team
West Offices | Station Rise | York YO1 6GA
[3]www.york.gov.uk | [4]facebook.com/cityofyork | [5]@CityofYork
 
 
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Help protect the environment! - please don't print this email unless you
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