Our Ref: 4801  

Dear Enquirer,

INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information which will be dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental
Information Regulations 2004.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

If you have any queries about this matter please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Kind regards

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Our Ref: 4801   

Dear Enquirer,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

I refer to your Freedom of Information request in which you asked:
 

On 5th September 2018, Councillor Peter Jackson stated that a loan had
been arranged between Northumberland County Council and Lugano for £75M
and that the former Labour and Independent Administration were aware of
it.

In Light of Councillor Jacksons statement,

Can you please furnish me with the following information.

Letters or e-mails from Lugano to the former CEO of Northumberland County
Council Steve Mason on the subject of the £75M loan deal.

Any letters or e-mails to Lugano from Steve Mason on the subject of the
£75M Loan.

Any letters or e-mails to or from Scott Dickinson Business Chair of
Council from either Lugano or Steve Mason on the subject of the £75M Loan.

Any Letters or e-mails to Grant Davey Leader of Council from or to Lugano
or Steve Mason on the subject of the £75M Loan.

Any letter or e-mails to Councillor Jackson from Lugano or Steve Mason or
Scott Dickinson or Grant Davey on the subject of the £75M Loan.

Any Letters or e-mails to Daljit Lally from Lugano or Steve Mason or Scott
Dickinson or Grant Davey on the subject of the £75M Loan

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I am writing to ask you to clarify your request. This is because we need
further details from you in order to identify and locate the information.

Therefore I should be grateful if you would confirm the period you would
like any information for, for example this could be June 2018 - September
2018.
If you need assistance with this, please contact me. 

Please contact me by the above email address if you need assistance with
this.

If we do not receive your clarification within 3 calendar months from
today we will close your request. If after the 3 month period you then
provide clarification, your request will be logged as a new request.

Yours sincerely

FOI Co-ordinator - Finance Group
Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Our Ref: 4801   

Dear Enquirer,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 

Thank you for your request for information received on 7th September
2018 concerning £75M loan from Northumberland County Council to Lugano.
This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 

The Council confirms that it does hold certain information covered by your
request, however we believe that we need further time in which to provide
a full response to you. 

We estimate that we will have reached a decision by Friday 23rd
November and we will write to you then. 

Complaints 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review by writing within 2 months
from the date of your response to the Information Governance Office: 

Freedom of Information Officer 
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF 

[Northumberland County Council request email] 

Information Commissioner 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right by Section 50 of the Act to apply to the Information
Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with
in accordance with the requirements of the Act at: 

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF 

Tel: 01625 545 745 / Fax: 01625 524 510
Email: [email address] 

There is no charge for making an appeal. 

Yours sincerely 

FOI Coordinator - Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email] 
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk 

Our Ref: 4801  

Dear Enquirer,

Request for Information - 

I refer to your request for information in relation to a £75m loan between
Northumberland County Council and Lugano as detailed below:
On 5th September 2018, Councillor Peter Jackson stated that a loan had
been arranged between Northumberland County Council and Lugano for £75M
and that the former Labour and Independent Administration were aware of
it.
In Light of Councillor Jacksons statement,
Can you please furnish me with the following information.
Letters or e-mails from Lugano to the former CEO of Northumberland County
Council Steve Mason on the subject of the £75M loan deal.
Any letters or e-mails to Lugano from Steve Mason on the subject of the
£75M Loan.
Any letters or e-mails to or from Scott Dickinson Business Chair of
Council from either Lugano or Steve Mason on the subject of the £75M Loan.
Any Letters or e-mails to Grant Davey Leader of Council from or to Lugano
or Steve Mason on the subject of the £75M Loan.
Any letter or e-mails to Councillor Jackson from Lugano or Steve Mason or
Scott Dickinson or Grant Davey on the subject of the £75M Loan.
Any Letters or e-mails to Daljit Lally from Lugano or Steve Mason or Scott
Dickinson or Grant Davey on the subject of the £75M Loan
The Council have considered your request for information under the terms
of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. In our view the request
falls within the scope of the broad definition of environmental
information contained within Regulation 2(1) of the Regulations. 

Right of Access 

The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide that a public
authority that holds environmental information shall make it available on
request. The Regulations create a general right of access to environmental
information held by public authorities subject to various exceptions. A
public authority may refuse to disclose environmental information if an
exception to disclosure applies and the public authority decides that in
all the circumstances the public interest in maintaining the exception
outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 
The Council has carefully considered whether the information requested can
be disclosed under the Regulations. We have concluded that the requested
information is exempt from disclosure under Regulations 12(5)(d) and
12(5)(e).
In line with regulation 14, we would like to inform you that the Council
has identified certain information considered to be within the scope of
your request to the provision of which we do not consider you are entitled
to under the EIR. 
Exceptions 

12. - (1) Subject to paragraphs (2), (3) and (9), a public authority may
refuse to disclose environmental information requested if - 
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), a public authority may refuse to
disclose information to the extent that its disclosure would adversely
affect - 

(d) the confidentiality of the proceedings of that or any other public
authority where such confidentiality is provided by law; 

(e) the confidentiality of commercial or industrial information where such
confidentiality is provided by law to protect a legitimate economic
interest; 
We have applied the public interest test to Regulations 12(5)(d) and
12(5)(e) and have found that in all the circumstances of the
well-recognised interests in maintaining the exceptions outweighed such
public interest as there could properly be considered to be in disclosing
it. In particular, it was considered that the general public interest in
releasing these documents was minimal. 
Advice and Assistance 

The Council recognises its statutory duty to provide advice and assistance
under Regulation 9 of the Regulations. Subject to the provision of the
Regulations, the Council is seeking to be transparent and open in it's
response. 

Notice of Refusal 

With the exception of the information disclosed herewith, please treat
this letter as a Notice of Refusal as regards the information covered by
the exceptions in Regulations 12(5)(d) and 12(5)(e). 

Representations and Reconsideration 

If you consider that the Council has failed to comply with a requirement
of the Regulations in relation to your request, you have a right to make
representations under Regulation 11. Representations must be made in
writing to the Council no later than 40 working days after the date on
which you believe that the Council failed to comply with a requirement of
the Regulations. 

Any representation should be addressed to: 

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF 

Email: [1][Northumberland County Council request email] 

Enforcement and Appeal Provisions 

Should you remain dissatisfied following the above process, you have a
right under the Regulations to apply to the Information Commissioner for a
decision as to whether your request has been dealt with in accordance with
the requirements of the Regulations. The Information Commissioners address
is: 

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF 

Telephone no. 0303 123 1113
Email: [2][email address] 

Yours faithfully

Information Governance Team
Northumberland County Council

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Northumberland County Council request email]
2. mailto:[email address]