Objections to the financial accounts

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Research for Action

Dear Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 provides local electors with the right to object to an item of their local authority's financial accounts. In relation to all the objections received between 2015 and 2020 (including objections to the 2014/15 accounts) please provide the following information in Excel spreadsheet format.

Please use the list below as column headers and compile the data for each objection in a separate row.

1. Objection reference no.
2. Date the objection was received
3. Financial year the objection relates to
4. Subject of the objection
5. Auditor who dealt with the objection (company name)
6. Did the objector ask for a referral to the High Court or a Public Interest Report, or both?
7. Was the objection accepted as valid?
8. If not, why?
9. Has the auditor provided a final response to the objection?
10. If yes, please indicate the date of the final response.
11. Was a public interest report issued?
12. Was a referral made to the High Court?
13. If so, what was the High Court’s decision?
14. Were any other recommendations made or actions taken by the auditor under the powers set out in Section 24 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act?
15. How much was the council charged by the auditor to carry out work in relation to the objection?

Kind regards,

Ludovica Rogers

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Information request
Our reference: 4525653

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Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

1 Attachment

Information request
Our reference: 4525653

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Dear Ms Rogers
 
Thank you for your request for information received on 16 December 2020.
 
Please find attached our response to your request.
 

If you are dissatisfied with your response please send your Internal
Review request to the email address below.

[1][RBKC request email]

 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Information Management Team
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[RBKC request email]

Research for Action

Dear Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,
Thank you for your response, however, the council must hold at least some of this information as the Audit Committee will have been informed about any new or ongoing objections, their conclusion and if they resulted in a public interest report or a high court referral. The great majority of councils that we have contacted have been able to provide this information, so it would be concerning to know that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsa does not hold this information and that the council was not aware of what objections had been submitted and their status.
I, therefore, ask you to kindly investigate further as I would prefer to avoid having to request an internal review.
Kind regards,
Ludovica Rogers

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Information request
Our reference: 4525653

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Dear Ms Rogers
 
Thank you for your request for a review received on 1 February 2021. I am
sorry that you are dissatisfied with our attempts to handle your request
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
 
I can confirm that we are considering your concerns and we will aim to
provide you with a response by 1 March 2021.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Information Management Team
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Information request
Our reference: 4525653

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Dear Ms Rogers

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to you. 

We have undertaken a further detailed search for the information you have
requested. Whilst we have not kept a log of these records the Chief
Accountant has managed to provide some of the information that you require
which is included in the spreadsheet attached. Unfortunately some of the
information you have requested was not held and these fields are left
blank on the spreadsheet.

Please also accept our sincere apologies for not providing you with this
information in our original response to you.

Please quote the reference number 4525653 in any future communications.

Email: [1][RBKC request email]

If you are still dissatisfied with the Council's response after the
internal review you have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner
at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
 
http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/freedon...
 
Helpline on 0303 123 1113
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Information Governance Team 
IT

 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[RBKC request email]

Research for Action

Dear Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,
Unfortunately, I cannot see the spreadsheet attached.
Could you kindly send it to [email address]
Kind regards,
Ludovica rogers