Latest version ASC budget 24/25 to 26/27

Dear Somerset Council,

In February 2024 I was sent this 3-year budget forecast:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UwCWb_m...

Can you tell me for each year forecast (24/25, 25/26 & 26/27) in the above forecast:

Q1a. The sector cpi-equivalent inflation figures used;
Q1b. The sector pay inflation figures used;
Q1c. If applicable, the interest rates assumed;
Q1d. The energy price assumptions;
Q1e. The estimated savings accruing from the £7m of Newton Europe consultancy for "demand management";
Q1f. The estimated number of people and costs attributed to demographic growth.

Q2. Please disclose the latest 3-year budget forecast version of the Feb 2024 copy above (indicate the date it was last revised).

Can you tell me for each year forecast (24/25, 25/26 & 26/27) in the latest revised forecast:

Q2a. The latest sector cpi-equivalent inflation figures used;
Q2b. The latest sector pay inflation figures used;
Q2c. If applicable, the latest interest rates assumed;
Q2d. The latest energy price assumptions;
Q2e. The latest estimated savings accruing from the £7m of Newton Europe consultancy for "demand management";
Q2f. The latest estimated number of people and costs attributed to demographic growth.

Yours faithfully,

David Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

This is flagged as overdue but there was a few days delay in accessing the original ASC budget spreadsheet from March.

Given the formal nature of budgeting, I would expect the information requested to be readily to hand.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

Can you please acknowledge my polite follow-up and when the Council will respond?

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

This is now marked as long overdue.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

Adult Social Care (ASC), amidst a self-declared financial emergency, will have the budget toolkit (paid for within £7m of Newton Europe consultancy) readily to hand. The factors used are input to the budget toolkit so they are also readily to hand.

The ASC budget forecast and factors used is public domain information which can be scrutinised by a number of committees and the executive.

Within the original ASC budget set in March, the new Interim S151 Officer recently clawed back £16m of excess inflationary factors. This is a huge sum which could now go towards protecting valued but non-statutory services eg waste recycling centres, libraries etc.

The Council is seeking permission from the Government to raise council tax above the 5% limit and, having had a 13.6% rise in overall council tax last year, why should taxpayers pay more if ASC have again "over-budgeted".

It is therefore reasonable to check that the latest ASC budget toolkit has set reasonable factors and the budget set is reliable and accurate. This is, in my view, of high public interest amidst the self-declared financial emergency.

This FOI is now 40+ days overdue without any credible explanation for a delay in disclosing information readily to hand.

Failure to disclose this high public interest information shortly, will result in the relevant committees and the internal and external auditors, being made aware of the on-going "secrecy" and requesting proper oversight.

At the same time, I will consider whether an Internal Review is an appropriate next step.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

This information must be held by Adult Social Care.

Why hasn't the information been provided? Is information being withheld to hide deficiencies or failings?

I will now communicate with the Leader and the Executive Councillors for Resources and Adult Social Care together with the relevant Scrutiny Committees about basic budget information being withheld during a self-declared "financial emergency" when financial oversight should be rigorous.

Executive Director Alyn Jones for this Lib Dem-led Council stated that the Council prides itself on being "open, transparent and q
accessible" which is clearly not the case here.

If by January 13th this FOI request remains unanswered then I will move to an Internal Review leading to an ICO referral.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Somerset Council's handling of my October 2024 FOI request 'Latest version ASC budget 24/25 to 26/27'.

The Council is in breach of the Freedom of Information Act by not disclosing this readily available information in the public interest (given the self-declared "financial emergency") and the huge increases in the ASC budget announced last February (70% more over 3 years).

Nor has the Council at any stage and, despite multiple polite reminders, given any indication as to whether they hold the information, when it would be disclosed or if there was any lawful exemption for refusing disclosure.

This is in addition to the Council illegally failing to meet a GDPR Subject Access Request(
(or providing a reason for refusal) and also withholding education information for a sale of primary school land at Killams Park development in Taunton South within a formal complaint procedure.

The Council is being demonstrably unreasonable towards me and my lawful and reasonable information requests.

It is my intention to appeal to the ICO should the Council's designation of "Unreasonable Customer" remain in place after Friday's final appeal/escalation meeting with the Executive Director, Strategy, Transformation and Resources together with Cllrs Rigby and Smith-Roberts.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/l...

Yours faithfully,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

You have exceeded the 20 working days to conduct an Internal Review, after failing to supply qualifying information for adult social care budget information that you must hold,asked for early October 2024.

Since this Council erroneously designated me an Unreasonable Customer on 6th September, I have on top of the distress and hurt caused, endured delays, refusals and numerous micro aggressions.

The Customer Services Manager is one of your ICO-registered Data Protection Officers. I do hope the serial breach of this lawful Freedom of Information request isn't as a result of improper oversight by the Customer Services Manager who applied and managed the erroneous Unreasonable Customer policy against me.

I will now move to asking the S151 Officer, the Internal and external auditors and the Audit Committee to ensure the ASC budget factors for the coming financial year are properly assured BEFORE the budget setting meeting on the 5th of March.

I will also report the Council to the Information Commissioner's Office for a flagrant breach of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely,

David Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

Please now post the response as MO Alyn Jones has agreed that as the social care providers now have the rates there is no need for this information being withheld.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr

Dear Somerset Council,

Did you consult with Executive Director Alyn Jones before making this refusal?

These are historical rates being requested and, as you have already issued the rates to the care market publicly, it is plainly absurd to continue to cite commercial in confidence.

If I don't hear from you with disclosure by Monday 7th July, I will appeal thus to the ICO.

Please now pass on my response above to my agreed Single Point of Contact Executive Director Alyn Jones.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Orr