Request for breakdown of Councillors Expenses

Mike Wintle made this Freedom of Information request to Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council,

I write to formally request details of all expenses claimed by Wigan councillors for the Leigh,Lowton,Atherton,Tydsley and Golborne Ward. This request is made invoking the freedom of Information Act.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Wintle
43 Wensley Road
Lowton
Warrington
WA3 2PE

[email address]

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Please quote ID 3835 on all correspondence/emails/faxes
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Dear Sir / Madam

I am emailing to confirm the receipt of your recent FOI request to Wigan Council.

We will respond as soon as possible and in any case no later than 17TH September 2012, which is 20 working days after the receipt of your request.

If you have any comments or questions in the meantime, please direct them to [Wigan Council request email], or at Wigan Council, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN.

Your contact is Sharon Crippin.

Regards

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This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
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Email may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded
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As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this
email or any response to it under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 unless the information in it is covered by one of the
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This footnote also confirms that this email has been swept for
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Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Sir,
 
I am writing to respond to your freedom of information request.  This
request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Your request and our response in blue is detailed below.

     I write to formally request details of all expenses claimed by
     Wigan councillors for the Leigh,Lowton,Atherton,Tydsley and
     Golborne Ward. This request is made invoking the freedom of
     Information Act.
 
 
 
 
Attached are the total expenses claimed by the Councillors for wards
requested for the last financial year. The Councillors' Allowances scheme
is on the Council's web pages and sets out how the allowances are
calculated.
 
If you are unhappy with any aspect of this response, an independent senior
officer will review this decision. Please let me know if you would like to
arrange this.
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner, who is the
regulator for Freedom of Information. His website is
[1]www.informationcommisioner.gov.uk and his helpline number is 0303
1231113.
His staff may ask you to exhaust our internal complaints procedure if you
choose to complain to his office now.
I apologise for the delay in responding to this request, this is due to
the high volume of requests that are currently being received. If you need
any further information please do not hesitate in contacting me.
Yours faithfully,
 
Rita Wood
Legal Practice Officer
Wigan Council
Resources Directorate - Legal and Risk
Town Hall,  Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN
01942 828072 (Internal Ext. 3072)
[email address]
[2]www.wigan.gov.uk
 
Please note that I only work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
 
This email together with any files transmitted with it are confidential
and intended solely for the use of the individual to whom they are
addressed.  The information may be covered by legal professional
privilege.  Do not copy, disclose or distribute the information.  If you
are not the addressee, please contact the sender and immediately delete
this email and any attachments
 
 
 
>>Corporate Disclaimer<<
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please
notify the system manager.

Email may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded
for legal purposes.

As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this
email or any response to it under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 unless the information in it is covered by one of the
exemptions in the Act.

This footnote also confirms that this email has been swept for
the presence of computer viruses.

References

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1. http://www.informationcommisioner.gov.uk/
2. file:///tmp/www.wigan.gov.uk

Dear Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council,

I have been supplied with the totals claimed for each councilor but I specifically asked for a FULL BREAKDOWN of the expenses claimed and this has not been provided.

My interest lies not only in the total values spent but precisely on what they were spent?

Please supply this information?

Yours faithfully,

Mike Wintle

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Sir,

I will forward your request to the relevant department and will get back to you as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Rita Wood
Legal Practice Officer
Wigan Council
Resources Directorate - Legal and Risk
Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN
01942 828072 (Internal Ext. 3072)
[email address]
www.wigan.gov.uk

Please note that I only work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

This email together with any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual to whom they are addressed. The information may be covered by legal professional privilege. Do not copy, disclose or distribute the information. If you are not the addressee, please contact the sender and immediately delete this email and any attachments

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Dear Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please carry out an internal review, to find out why
your response to my request for a breakdown of councillors exenses has been so slow?

Yours faithfully,

Mike Wintle

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

My working days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email are not being forwarded and will be dealt with on my next working day

show quoted sections

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please
notify the system manager.

Email may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded
for legal purposes.

As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this
email or any response to it under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 unless the information in it is covered by one of the
exemptions in the Act.

This footnote also confirms that this email has been swept for
the presence of computer viruses.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Sir,

Please find attached the breakdown requested. I trust that this now concludes the matter.

Yours faithfully,

Rita Wood
Legal Practice Officer
Wigan Council
Resources Directorate - Legal and Risk
Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN
01942 828072 (Internal Ext. 3072)
[email address]
www.wigan.gov.uk

Please note that I only work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

This email together with any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual to whom they are addressed. The information may be covered by legal professional privilege. Do not copy, disclose or distribute the information. If you are not the addressee, please contact the sender and immediately delete this email and any attachments

show quoted sections

Dear Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council,

Thank you for the information received. However, I requested a 'Full Breakdown' of the expenses claimed an not a list of councilors and their totals claimed?

I need to understand how councillors can possibly claim and be paid more in expenses, than I earn as a salary for a full time job as a shopping centre manager? Also, please explain the SRA heading as it means nothing to me?

Just about every councillor appears to be entitled to a minimum Basic Allowance of £10,425.98? Please explain why this is?

I find myself insulted to find that Peter R. C Smith has claimed and received £52,625.28. What on earth did he do to spend this amount on expenses at a rate of what is essentially £1,000.00 per week?

I look forward to a response from you answering all my questions/points in full.

Mike Wintle
28/10/2012

Yours faithfully,

Mike Wintle

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

I am away from the office until Wednesday 31st October. Emailsl are not being forwarded. If urgent please re-send to Sharon Crippin.

show quoted sections

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please
notify the system manager.

Email may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded
for legal purposes.

As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this
email or any response to it under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 unless the information in it is covered by one of the
exemptions in the Act.

This footnote also confirms that this email has been swept for
the presence of computer viruses.

arthur askey left an annotation ()

I concur, please provide a detailed breakdown of Peter R.C Smiths expenses.

Its good to see my council tax being used in such a splendid way.