Inventory, missing items owned by Edinburgh City Council
Dear City of Edinburgh Council,
a. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of art galleries Edinburgh City Council owns
b. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of Edinburgh City Council - for example including gifts from public entities or private people, items displayed in Reception of the Town House, portraits of former lord provosts and others
c. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of other entities owned by Edinburgh City Council
I would hope that all such inventories of valuables are in the form of comprehensive electronic documents/spreadsheets, such as is the case with the list of property the city owns. In which case, supplying same will be simple, swift and not incurring any cost. Where an inventory is not kept electronically, advise how such inventory is stored, how managed.
d. For all inventory please advise (again this should be recorded and easy to find) whether any item has been signed out/taken by ECC councillors, staff, others or whether any inventory is missing or damaged.
e. for any inventory which is missing, please advise whether this has been reported to police, and whether any insurance claims have been lodged.
f. advise how much money is spent on insurance for inventory by each location.
g. advise for any items signed out at d above, advise the length of time any item has been signed out/taken and the reason for such action.
Yours faithfully,
Yours faithfully,
Suzanne Kelly
Dear City of Edinburgh Council,
I wish to clarify point b:
b. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of the Council - for example including gifts from public entities or private people, items displayed in any town hall, council-owned civic centre, etc
Yours faithfully,
Suzanne Kelly
Suzanne Kelly
Our ref: 34299
Dear Suzanne Kelly
Acknowledgement of Request
Subject: Inventory, missing items owned by Edinburgh City Council
Thank you for your request for information which was received on 06/10/2021.
In your request you asked for the following;
a. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of art galleries Edinburgh City Council owns b. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of Edinburgh City Council - for example including gifts from public entities or private people, items displayed in Reception of the Town House, portraits of former lord provosts and others c. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of other entities owned by Edinburgh City Council I would hope that all such inventories of valuables are in the form of comprehensive electronic documents/spreadsheets, such as is the case with the list of property the city owns. In which case, supplying same will be simple, swift and not incurring any cost. Where an inventory is not kept electronically, advise how such inventory is stored, how managed.
d. For all inventory please advise (again this should be recorded and easy to find) whether any item has been signed out/taken by ECC councillors, staff, others or whether any inventory is missing or damaged.
e. for any inventory which is missing, please advise whether this has been reported to police, and whether any insurance claims have been lodged.
f. advise how much money is spent on insurance for inventory by each location.
g. advise for any items signed out at d above, advise the length of time any item has been signed out/taken and the reason for such action
I can confirm that your request will be processed under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, Environmental Information Regulations (Scotland) 2004, or the INSPIRE (Scotland) Regulations 2009.
You will receive the information requested within 20 working days unless the Council does not hold the information, or there is a reason for it to be withheld. We will write to you in any event. This means we have until 03/11/2021 to respond to your request.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case we will let you know.
If you have any requirements regarding the format any information should be supplied in, e.g. the language to be used, audio, large print and so on, then please let me know.
If you have any queries or concerns, do not hesitate to get in touch. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.
To promote transparency and accountability, it is the Council’s policy to publish all request details and responses made under the freedom of information legislation. This information is available at the following link: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/10....
Further information about your rights and accessing information is available on our website at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Yours sincerely,
Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Suzanne Kelly
[FOI #797466 email]
Our ref: 34299
Dear Suzanne Kelly
Request for Clarification
Subject: Inventories of City of Edinburgh Council Items
Thank you for your request for information of 06/10/2021 in which you asked the following:
Q1. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of art galleries Edinburgh City Council owns.
Q2. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of the Council - for example including gifts from public entities or private people, items displayed in any town hall, council-owned civic centre, etc.
Q3. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of other entities owned by Edinburgh City Council.
I would hope that all such inventories of valuables are in the form of comprehensive electronic documents/spreadsheets, such as is the case with the list of property the city owns. In which case, supplying same will be simple, swift and not incurring any cost.
Where an inventory is not kept electronically, advise how such inventory is stored, how managed.
Q4. For all inventory please advise whether any item has been signed out/taken by ECC councillors, staff, others or whether any inventory is missing or damaged.
Q5. For any inventory which is missing, please advise whether this has been reported to police, and whether any insurance claims have been lodged.
Q6. Advise how much money is spent on insurance for inventory by each location.
Q7. Advise for any items signed out at Q4 above, the length of time any item has been signed out/taken and the reason for such action.
Unfortunately, we cannot identify the information you have requested from the details you have provided. To help us meet your request, could you please provide the following:
Although information regarding our museums and galleries collections is likely to be centrally held and easily accessible, the remainder of your request is too broad. It is likely that items of value will be located in various establishments across the organisation, such as in individual schools, offices, etc. It would not be possible to collate all relevant data within the statutory limits of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
If you were able to refine your request, perhaps focussing on the museum and galleries collections and our City Chambers, we can begin a search for centrally held information.
On receipt of these further details, we will respond to your request within 20 working days. Please note that the statutory 20 working day deadline for responding to your request does not start until we receive the requested clarification from you.
If we do not hear from you within 40 working days, we will assume that you are no longer seeking the information you have requested and we will take no further action.
If you wish to discuss further, please get in touch. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Further information about your rights and accessing information is available on our website at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Yours sincerely,
Iain Burden
Information Rights Officer
Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Dear City of Edinburgh Council,
Thank you for your response.
For now limit it as you suggest in your reply to me.
In any event, the City must have a database of its valuables - please send this to me, ideally in electronic form.
Yours faithfully,
Suzanne Kelly
Suzanne Kelly
[FOI #797466 email]
Our ref: 34299
Dear Suzanne Kelly
Request for Clarification - Receipt
Subject: Inventories of City of Edinburgh Council Items
Thank you for providing clarification on the above request for information of 06/10/2021. We will respond to your request within 20 working days. Please note that the statutory 20 working day deadline for responding to your request starts upon receipt of clarification. This means we have until 15/11/2021 to respond to your request.
To promote transparency and accountability, it is the Council’s policy to publish all request details and responses made under the freedom of information legislation. This information is available at the following link: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/10....
Further information about your rights and accessing information is available on our website at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
Iain Burden
Information Rights Officer
Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Dear City of Edinburgh Council,
I hope you will answer this request soon, thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Suzanne Kelly
Afternoon Suzanne
Apologies for the delay in responding. There was a delay getting information from the Lord Provost's team due to Cop26 activities. I now have information and, due to the current volume and scale of requests, it is likely your response will be provided early in January 2022.
Kind regards,
Iain.
Iain Burden | Information Rights Officer | Information Governance Unit | Corporate Services Directorate | Chief Executive | The City of Edinburgh Council | Business Centre 2:1 | Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG | 0131 200 2340 | [email address] | www.edinburgh.gov.uk
CEC - Official
Dear Information Rights Officer 4; Dear Iain
Given the scale of COP26 and its many challenges, this is an acceptable delay for me.
I studied art in Edinburgh, and have some idea of the scale of collections we are talking about.
It will be very useful for me to see how the inventory is set out, maintained, and how any missing items/losses/restoration needs are recorded. I would refer you to the inventory (?) supplied to me by Aberdeen City Council found on my What Do THey Know page. I am sure Edinburgh's inventory systems will compare favourably. I am equally convinced that Edinburgh's losses/thefts will likewise compare favourably to the 1,577 items missing or stolen from Aberdeen. I am indeed interested in seeing how several Scottish councils compare to Aberdeen.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Suzanne Kelly
Dear Information Rights Officer 4,
I thought I would ask for an update as well as try to make it easier to answer by giving you the option of making an approximation
Is the number of missing items under 10? is it between 11 and 100? Between 101 and 500? Over 500? Over 1000? Over 1500?
You may have read in the press that Aberdeen City Council cannot find the enormous sum of 1,577 items
Again approximating on the scale I used above, please give me an approximation as to the number of items known / suspected to have been stolen.
Many thanks
Yours sincerely,
Suzanne Kelly
Afternoon Suzanne
Please accept my apologies for this on-going delay. We are not aware of items on the inventory that are permanently missing. I shall provide a more detailed explanation in my formal response which I hope will be with you shortly.
Kind regards,
Iain.
Iain Burden | Information Rights Officer | Information Governance Unit | Corporate Services Directorate | Chief Executive | The City of Edinburgh Council | Business Centre 2:1 | Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG | 0131 200 2340 | [email address] | www.edinburgh.gov.uk
CEC - Official
Suzanne Kelly
[1][FOI #797466 email]
Our ref: 34299
Dear Suzanne Kelly
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Partial Release of
Information
Subject: Inventories of City of Edinburgh Council Items
Thank you for your request for information of 06/10/2021 and subsequent
clarification of 18/10/2021, which has been processed under the terms of
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Unfortunately, the Council
is only able to meet part of your request; this information is released to
you now. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding. I shall
address each of your questions in turn.
You asked the following:
Based on items centrally recorded by Museums and Galleries and the City
Chambers:
Q1. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of art
galleries Edinburgh City Council owns.
A1. A basic inventory of Museums and Galleries Edinburgh (MGE) collections
as featured on the electronic collections database is attached – ‘34299
Museums and Galleries Edinburgh (MGE) Collections Catalogue’.
Please note this is not a complete record. There are more than 250,000
items in the city’s collections. The process of adding to it from
paper-based legacy records is on-going.
Q2. Inventory of all items in the possession/custodianship of the Council
- for example including gifts from public entities or private people,
items displayed in the City Chambers.
A2. Please refer to the following attached documents:
o 34299 Artworks in Lord Provost Offices_December 2019 - List of
Artworks in the Lord Provost’s Suite (on loan from the City Art
Centre)
o 34299 City Chambers Silverware
o 34299 Additional Silverware
o 34299 Civic Regalia
o 34299 Civic Gift Sheet
You should note from the ‘Object no.’ that some items appear on more than
one register.
Q3. For all inventory please advise whether any item has been signed
out/taken by ECC councillors, staff, others or whether any inventory is
missing or damaged.
A3. Artworks from the Council's Museums and Galleries collections are
regularly made available to the public through display in other council
venues, such as Waverley Court or the Usher Hall. In such instances, items
are never removed from the Council estate, and are therefore not subject
to any change in ownership, title or liability. MGE also regularly lends
items to other museums and galleries for fixed-term display in temporary
exhibitions. These are all covered by a detailed loan procedure, with all
insurance and liability arrangements in place before items are released on
loan in accordance with National Accreditation Standard for Museums.
Please refer to the attached ‘Plate Inventory to HMS Queen Elizabeth’
which relates to items of Minton China on loan to the Royal Navy’s HMS
Queen Elizabeth for the lifetime of the ship.
Q4. For any inventory which is missing, please advise whether this has
been reported to police, and whether any insurance claims have been
lodged.
A4. MGE is not aware of items on the inventory that are permanently
missing; we actively monitor location and inventory control on an on-going
basis. We do not automatically report items not in their recorded location
as it is usually the case they have been returned elsewhere and the
supporting historic documentation has not been updated. Until the 1990s
when computerised forms of collections management were adopted, record
keeping was limited and items, along with information about them such as
location, were not always correctly recorded.
We are not aware of any items missing from the City Chambers.
We are unable to trace any insurance claim or Police report in relation to
missing items.
Q5. Advise how much money is spent on insurance for inventory by each
location.
A5. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide you with the information
requested because it is not held by the Council.
There are no separate insurance charges for the City Chambers’ items or
for the items held in each Gallery and Museum.
Although the items are insured, sometimes per item and sometimes under an
umbrella amount through a corporate insurance policy, they are not
separately insured by location.
Please note that this letter constitutes a notice under section 17 of the
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Q6. Advise for any items signed out at Q3 above, the length of time any
item has been signed out/taken and the reason for such action.
A6. In accordance with National Accreditation Standards for Museums, MGE
only authorises short-term loans, for a maximum of three years with
possibility of renewal, for the purposes of display, research and
conservation.
Details of the Minto china on loan from the City Chambers is included in
A3 above.
To promote transparency and accountability, it is the Council’s policy to
publish all request details and responses made under the freedom of
information legislation. This information is available at the following
link:
[2]https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/10....
Your right to seek a review
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have not been able to release all the information you requested on this
occasion. If you are unhappy with the way we have dealt with your request,
you can ask us to review our actions and decisions by writing to:
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The City of Edinburgh Council
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EH8 8BG or,
Email: [3][email address]
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KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
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Website: [4]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal
Email: [5][email address]
Yours sincerely
Iain Burden
Information Rights Officer
Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[6][Edinburgh City Council request email] [7]www.edinburgh.gov.uk
CEC - Official
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