Christopher Larkin's Declaration of Interests

The request was successful.

Dear Worth Parish Council,

The council's website has no declaration of interests for Councillor Christopher Larkin. As Mr Larkin's business interests are known to include building and renovation work I believe that there is a potential for a conflict of interest arising in relation to any planning issues.

Yours faithfully,

P L Pratt

Mr. Pratt

Thank you for your E-Mail.

The Council is given to understand that you are currently engaged in a legal action with Mr. Larkin
which is now before the Courts.

In the circumstances, in law, the matter is held to be "sub judice", and it would be inappropriate for
the Council to make any comment.

K Wall Clerk to Worth P C

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Dear Worth Parish Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Worth Parish Council's handling of my FOI request 'Christopher Larkin's Declaration of Interests'.

Worth Parish Council has previously stated that the civil case between Mr Larkin and I is nothing to do with the council.

In the reply to my FOI request, Mr Wall has stated that the matter is sub-judice. Please explain why you believe this to be true. The dispute is a civil matter and is not currently under any form of deliberation by a judge in a court of law.

As the civil dispute does not, by Worth Parish Council's own declaration, relate to Mr Larkin's council duties and responsibilities, why does the council believe that it affects this request which is only in reference to Mr Larkin's council duties?

s29. Localism Act 2011 requires the council to establish and maintain a register of interests of members and co-opted members of the authority.

The information that I have requested is the information that is required, by law: to be declared by Mr Larkin; held by the council; and made available to members of the public. My request was made because Mr Larkin and Worth Parish Council have not complied with this legal requirement.

I wish to register a formal complaint that Worth Parish Council has improperly withheld information that it is required to provide under the Freedom of Information request and the Localism Act 2011.

I request that this matter also be forwarded to the District Council for their investigation.

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

Yours faithfully,

Phil Pratt

Mr. Pratt

Your E-Mail of the 23rd January is hereby acknowledged.

It will be submitted to the General Purposes and Finance Committee of the Council when it next meets on the 4th February.

K Wall

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Dear Worth Parish Council,

I believe that your continued refusal to provide the requested information, which Mr Larkin is legally obliged to have provided; which the council is legally required to hold; and which the council is legally obliged to provide to the public, amounts to an offence under s17 Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I require that you provide the requested information without further delay.

Yours sincerely,

Phil Pratt

Mr. Pratt

Sorry, but there is nothing I can usefully add to my E-Mail of the 24th January.

K Wall

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Dear Worth Parish Council,

Mr Wall. My previous message requested that my response be passed to the person responsible for conducting reviews into FOI requests. I believe that you are not that person and your refusal either to do so or to produce the information that, legally, is required to be in the public domain is an abuse of your position.

Please comply with my earlier request and also release the information that was requested and which is required to be in the public domain.

Yours sincerely,

Phil Pratt

Dear Worth Parish Council,

At the General Purposes and Finance Committee Meeting on 4 February, the Chairman informed the council that it was a legal requirement that the information I have asked for should be displayed on the parish council's website and instructed all members to complete new declaration forms as the previous ones had gone missing.

Can I now expect an apology from the council for your denial of my FOI request and when can I expect to receive the specific information requested? Councillor Larkin was present at the meeting, so he should have completed the form on Monday evening.

Yours sincerely,

Phil Pratt