Dear Mrs. Thompson

Thank you for your request for information, which was received on 26th January, 2012 and is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We are therefore required to provide you with a response within 20 working days, which will be on or before 23rd February, 2012.

If we require any clarification or further details, we will contact you as soon as possible - if this is the case, then the timescale for response specified above may be subject to change.

In the meantime, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me, remembering to quote the reference number provided above in any communications.

Yours sincerely

John Tillman

Swyddog Gwybodaeth a Diogelu Data

Adran y Prif Weithredwr

Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin

Information & Data Protection Officer

Chief Executive's Department

Carmarthenshire County Council

Mewnol/Internal: 4127

Allanol/External: 01267 224127

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Dear Mrs Thompson,

I refer to your email of 26th January, 2012.

You asked the following questions:

"1. The accounts for the year to 31/12/2008 show an item under "other income" of £3,528,000. Please could you explain how this arose?

2. In the same year the company purchased 20 acres of land at a price of £650,000, a purchase which according to the County Council's records had to be funded with a loan of £400,000 from the authority. Why was the loan necessary in view of the very high receipts in "other income"?

3. Please detail the resons for the high cost of this land, a current approxiamate price would be around £1200 per acre, this land appears to have cost £32,000 per acre.

4. Please confirm the identity of the owner(s) from whom the land was purchased.

5. You state that Carmarthenshire Council own 100% of this company. Up until a year or so ago an elected Member of the council had a place on the Board of Directors and 25% of the vote, a decision was made to remove this representation. As this company is owned by a public authority why are the interests of the taxpayer not represented on the Board of Directors? Please provide detail of how the taxpayers interests are safeguarded?"

With regard to questions 1-4, as you have asked for either CWM or the Council to respond, we have requested that CWM provide a response, as they would hold the information relevant to these issues.

In response to question 5, Local Authority Waste Disposal Companies are required by law to be arms length companies. This means that they are subject to strict criteria about voting percentages. The composition of the CWM Board is therefore in accordance with the prescribed statutory requirements. The taxpayers' interests are safeguarded by having a Board in place which complies with statutory requirements.

Yours sincerely

John Tillman
Swyddog Gwybodaeth a Diogelu Data
Adran y Prif Weithredwr
Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin

Information & Data Protection Officer
Chief Executive's Department
Carmarthenshire County Council

Mewnol/Internal: 4127
Allanol/External: 01267 224127

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