Discrepancies 2 - ACE Grants for the Arts (GftA) – Yorkshire Region

The request was partially successful.

Dear Arts Council of England,

I am looking at the GftA award since its inception in 2003 focussing on the Leeds Local authority area.

On the ACE website ‘TAP Project’ is listed as the recipient of a GftA award of £50k – for a Tap project in November 2004.

An ACE FOI request confirms the recipient of the award was “Traditional Arts Projects who are an arts organisation based in Andover, Hampshire.”

On the DCMS website the TAP Project is allocated to Bromley local authority, London.

According to ACE records online, this award was allocated to Yorkshire Region, Leeds Local authority area.

DCMS have confirmed in writing that their “database allocates a grant to a local authority area and region based on the postcode of the organisation receiving the grant”.

ACE have also stated that is ‘normally the case’, confirming the example of a Leeds company receiving funds taken from the Leeds local authority area to undertake a training programme benefitting artists in the South East – because the company is Leeds based.

1. Why does your record not agree with that held by DCMS?

2. TAP (now dissolved) was based in Hampshire, but the funds are listed as coming out of the Yorkshire Region budget - was this money wrongly allocated?

3. To what extent were local artists disadvantaged by not having access to the £50k?

Yours faithfully,

Carol Lee

FOI, Arts Council England

Dear Ms Lee

 

Thank you for your request for information from the Arts Council.

 

I can confirm that this request will be dealt with in line with the
requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  This means that we
will respond to your request in full as soon as possible and, at the
latest, within 20 working days from the day we received your email. 
Consequently you will hear from us no later than 11 October 2012.

 

If you would like to know more about how we will deal with your request
for information, you can find information on our website
[1]http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/who-we-are...

 

Alternatively for a more comprehensive look at information rights
legislation, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website
[2]http://www.ico.gov.uk/

 

Kind regards

 

 

Debbie Stephenson

Senior Officer, Freedom of Information

Arts Council England, National Office

Direct + 44 (0)207 973 6844

[email address]

 

www.artscouncil.org.uk

 

 

 

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FOI, Arts Council England

Dear Ms Lee

 

Thank you for your request for information.  I can confirm that this
request has been dealt with in line with our obligations under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000.

 

Please be aware that freedom of information legislation provides you with
regulated access to any information that we hold.  It does not require us
to create information or explanations to answer queries.

 

You asked the following questions:

 

1) Why does you record not agree with that held by DCMS.

 

We do not hold any information which can explain this discrepancy.  The
project you refer to was funded in 2004 and we no longer hold any records
for this.  In line with industry best practice and data protection
legislation, we operate strict retention and destruction policies on all
our documentation.  We generally don’t hold information on grants for
longer than 7 years. 

 

2)  TAP (now dissolved) was based in Hampshire, but the funds are listed
as coming out of the Yorkshire Region budget - was this money wrongly
allocated?

 

As I explained in my previous response, the regions showing on these
spreadsheets do not reflect anything to do with budgets.  They region
shown is drawn from the address that we hold on our database for that
organisation – it does not necessarily show the regional budget from which
the project was funded.  A project will not always be funded from the
regional budget in which the organisation has its main residence.         

 

3) To what extent were local artists disadvantaged by not having access to
the £50k?

 

Please see the response to question 2 – there is no evidence that any
money was wrongly allocated.

 

I hope the above answers your queries.

 

If you are not satisfied that the Arts Council has complied with the legal
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act in responding to your request
you have the right to an internal review.  Please contact me at the
address above, explaining why you think we have not complied with the
Act.  If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you
have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,

Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Debbie Stephenson

Senior Officer, Freedom of Information

Arts Council England, National Office

Direct + 44 (0)207 973 6844

[email address]

 

www.artscouncil.org.uk

 

 

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Dear FOI,

"We do not hold any information which can explain this discrepancy. The project you refer to was funded in 2004 and we no longer hold any records for this."

Convenient. Will be submitting new FOI requests for information about this grant, and will continue to do so until the ALL the questions have been answered.

Yours sincerely,

Carol Lee