council functions

Dear Sir,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

I acknowledge your request for information received on 26th August,
2008.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined
by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not
being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

If appropriate, the information may be provided in paper copy, normal
font size. If you require alternative formats, e.g. language, audio,
large print, etc. then please let me know.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an
assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the
information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the
case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not
to release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the
case.

There may be a fee payable for ‘reasonable disbursement’ costs such
as postage and photocopying. This will be considered and you will be
informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before
the information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit
for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me on 01254
380109/380129 or e-mail [Hyndburn Borough Council request email]

Yours Sincerely

Lianne Williams
FOI Co-ordinator

Hyndburn Borough Council
Scaitcliffe House
Ormerod Street
Accrington
BB5 0PF

Tel: (01254) 380109

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<[FOI #2084 email]> 23/08/08 18:04 >>>
Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to know the average proportion of time the elected
representatives of your authority spend as part of their duties
for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 on their main activities. The
activities that form their duties (employment) as an elected
representative are:

1 directly resolving complaints against the executive (Council
Staff) of the Council by residents; 2 sitting on committee's; 3
acting for the political parties that they represent and/or
ceremonial duties (i.e. all time not spent on sitting on a
Committee or resolving a complaint against the executive);

The total time spent by an elected representative for a Council
on
these three activities should be 100 per cent of the time they
spend 'working for a Council' as an elected representative.

I would additionally like to know how much in total was paid to
local councillors to meet all their duties (including expenses)
for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 by your authority, and how
many
elected representatives are (and were) represented on your
authority for these years.

I would also like to know how many Complaints in total were
submitted to your Council in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008
for
each year. I would further like to know how many of these
complaints were formally considered by an elected representative
for each of these years.

I would further like to know how many complaints against the
Executive (Council staff) led to the elected representatives
formally identifying that the Executive had acted wrongly for the
years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, and how many of these
formal determinations by the elected representatives identify
that
there was no wrong-doing by the Executive. How many staff
employed
by your authority in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 ceased to
be employed by your authority as a direct result of a complaint
against the Executive, and the Councillors identifying this to be
the case.

I would further like to know how much money the Council has paid
to
a complainant (i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through its
own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the
Local
Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

I would like to know how much money either in the form of local
settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration
causing injustice the Local Government Ombudsman has recommended
that your Council pay in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 (for
each year) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's
recommendations
have been met in full (including any non-financial
recommendations
for each year)). Please detail any recommendation that has not
been
met in full and provide a copy of the Elected representatives
decision. Please additionally identify if these costs were met
directly by Council Tax Payers or the Council's insurers
(excluding
self insurance by a Council)

Finally, please provide details of the financial cost of
administering all your complaints systems (including FoI and DP)
by
the Executive for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the
number
of staff employed in administering complaints and resolving these
(Full time equivalent staffing levels). Please also provide
details
of your total administrative costs for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and
2007/2008 and the total number of staff employed by your
authority,
as well as any pay increase (including increments) made to the
Council's Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) in pounds
sterling
for each of these years. Please additionally identify if the
Chief
Executives wages included performance related payments.

If you do not have this reasonably basic management information
related to complaints and/or identify that the costs of accessing
the information requested will be more than £450 please state
this
and identify that your Authority does not have either a
functioning
or accountable complaints system, and does not maintain any basic
management information related to this issue.

If you have a complaints system not fit for purpose please
identify
which political party currently controls your Council, and if
this
political party has appointed the current Electoral Registration
and Returning Officer through its control of the Council (with
date
of their formal appointment). Please name the current Electoral
Registration and Returning Officer, and identify if they are also
Head of Paid Service, and Clerk to your Authority. Please
additionally provide any documentation maintained by your Local
Authorities Head of Paid Service identifying that they personally
do not believe it to be appropriate for your Council to have a
complaints system that is fit for purpose. This documentation
should be in existence due to the provisions of s4 of the Local
Government Act 1989.

Yours faithfully

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

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Dear Sir,

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information enquiry.

In terms of the timescales for responding to your Freedom of Information enquiry, your Freedom of Information request has been placed on-hold whilst clarity is sought from you on the following information you are requesting:-

Please can you provide clarity in respect of paragraph 9 of your request for information (second sentence) in respect of your wording:- "Please also provide details of your total administrative costs for 2005/2006, 2006/2007, and 2007/08".

Can you clarify whether this part of your enquiry relates directly to the pay bill of the Council or something else?

Regards
Paul Preston
on behalf of

Lianne Williams
FOI Co-ordinator

Hyndburn Borough Council
Scaitcliffe House
Ormerod Street
Accrington
BB5 0PF

Tel: (01254) 380109

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Paul

The figures you requested for 2005/06, 06/07 and 07/08 are below

12,032,717.71 12,040,147.98 13,082,803.22

Cheers

Joe

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Please find attached a response to your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act.

Best regards,

Lianne Abram
FOI Co-ordinator

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