China visits
Please provide the following information. I make this request under the Freedom of Information Act.
1) From 1 January 2017 to the day of your response to this request, please provide information on the number of trips to China taken by council officials (both elected and unelected) in the course of conducting council business.
For each trip, please provide the following information:
- The date and duration of the overseas trip, as well as the Chinese city that was visited.
- The full name, title and position of the council officials who went on the overseas trip as well as the number of people who travelled.
- The reason or reasons why the council officials went on the trip and an explanation as to how the trip benefited the council.
- A list of places the officials visited and the people they met (please provide as much detail as possible)
- The cost of the trip (please provide a breakdown of costs including travel costs, accommodation costs, expenses and any other costs).
- Please state whether the council met the costs of the trip, or whether an individual, group, company, consortium, charity or another organisation met the costs, including Chinese companies or government bodies.
- Please provide the full name of the individual, group, company, charity or organisation that met the costs. If it is a group or consortium, please state who or what composes the group or consortium.
- Details of any gifts received by the officials, their value and which organisation, individual gave them gift.
- Details of any financial benefits received by the council as a result of the trip - eg free office space in China.
- A copy of the itinerary for each trip.
I would like to receive the information electronically.
If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad or too vague, I would be grateful if you could contact me and provide assistance as to how I could refine the request under your Section 16 obligations.
Yours faithfully,
Dean Kirby
Thank you for your request.
This has been passed onto the appropriate FOI officer and your request
will be dealt with as soon as possible.
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Further to your request, I confirm there have been no trips to China taken by council officials (both elected and unelected) in the course of conducting council business.
If you are unhappy with the way your request for Information has been handled you may request a review by writing to:
The FOI Co-ordinator
Brentwood Borough Council
Town Hall
Ingrave Road
Brentwood
Essex
CM15 8AY
If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone 08456 30 60 60
Or 01625 54 57 45
Website: https://ico.org.uk/
Zöe Borman | Governance & Member Support Officer| Brentwood Borough Council
: 01277 312736 : [email address]
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