Dear The Mercian Trust,

As detailed in the FOI request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i... Mercian Trust have an obligation to ensure investments are value for money.

In the interest of public scrutiny, openness, transparency and also given the large sums of money being used on the investments detailed in the FOI request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i... please can you answer the following FOI request.

1) Given the large sums of money involved and the reputation of Mercian Trust it is reasonable to demand that the personnel doing the investment review be professionally qualified. What financial qualifications did the Mercian Trust personnel have who did the review? What Managing Property and Residential Lettings qualifications did the personnel have doing the review?

2) Given the large sums of money involved and the reputation of Mercian Trust it would be reasonable to demand that any reviews would have written evidence and be minuted. What justification can be provided that no written records were kept to support any decisions made or justification that the reviews were not minuted.

3) As Mercian Trust investments involve such large sums what level of qualifications does the Mercian Trust demand of the people involved in doing investment reviews? Please provide a link to the expected written procedures?

4) It would be expected of the Mercian Trust to demand a minimum level of professional qualifications of third parties participating in any investment review. Especially given the large sums of money involved. What qualifications were provided by the estate agents or other third party advisors for the investment reviews?

5) Given the advice from estate agents was given verbally to the investment reviews what assurance did the Mercian Trust personnel take to ensure the personal providing the information was suitably qualified? i.e. what level of qualification did the person giving the information provide?

6) What justification was given in the review for the rental income to be set markedly below market values publically available and listed in the FOI request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i....

Yours faithfully,

Mr Davis