Returning Officers Communications, Candidate Briefings, Warnings & Police Complaints - 2015 General Election

The request was partially successful.

Joel M Benjamin

Dear Rossendale Borough Council,

The following information is sought in relation to communications, briefings, warnings and complaints issued by council Returning Officer & associated staff to prospective MP candidates, political parties and police in the lead up to, and conduct of, and subsequent enquiries into, the 2015 General Election.

FOIA Questions:

1) Were all GE2015 MP candidates issued with written guidelines including election procedures and spending rules, in line with Electoral Commission guidance? (see below for details)
2) Please provide copies of GE2015 briefing sheets and written guidance provided by the Returning Officer (RO) or Acting Returning Officer (ARO) to prospective MPs.
3) What procedures and processes did the RO or ARO have in place to identify and manage issues threatening the legitimacy of the electoral process relating to MPs expenses? How were they implemented?
4) What complaints were lodged with the RO and ARO regarding electoral integrity and spending issues for GE2015?
5) What documented action did the RO or ARO take to address these complaints?
6) What formal or informal warnings were issued to candidates or political parties?
7) What complaints were referred to local police?

Background: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__...

Yours faithfully,

Joel M Benjamin

Freedom Of Information, Rossendale Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Benjamin

 

RE: Request for Information under the Freedom of Information Act

Logged as our Reference FOI/4250

 

I acknowledge receipt of your request dated 7^th June 2016.  Your request
is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and will be answered within twenty working days.

 

Please remember to quote the above reference number in any future
communications.

 

Regards

 

 

Jenni Cook

Committee Officer

Committee & Member Services, Room 213, Futures Park, Bacup, OL13 0BB

01706 252424

[1][email address]

Freedom of Information Requests can be submitted at
[2][Rossendale Borough Council request email]

Web: [3]www.rossendale.gov.uk

Twitter: [4]@RossendaleBC

Facebook: [5]Rossendale Borough Council

Visit Rossendale: [6]http://www.visitrossendale.com/

 

[7]cid:image001.png@01D165B4.75262D90

Click [8]here to get all the latest Council and Community news for
Rossendale

 

From: Joel M Benjamin [mailto:[FOI #338849 email]]
Sent: 07 June 2016 14:40
To: Freedom Of Information
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Returning Officers
Communications, Candidate Briefings, Warnings & Police Complaints - 2015
General Election

 

Dear Rossendale Borough Council,

The following information is sought in relation to communications,
briefings, warnings and complaints issued by council Returning Officer &
associated staff to prospective MP candidates, political parties and
police in the lead up to, and conduct of, and subsequent enquiries into,
the 2015 General Election.

FOIA Questions:

1) Were all GE2015 MP candidates issued with written guidelines including
election procedures and spending rules, in line with Electoral Commission
guidance? (see below for details)
2) Please provide copies of GE2015 briefing sheets and written guidance
provided by the Returning Officer (RO) or Acting Returning Officer (ARO)
to prospective MPs.
3) What procedures and processes did the RO or ARO have in place to
identify and manage issues threatening the legitimacy of the electoral
process relating to MPs expenses? How were they implemented?
4) What complaints were lodged with the RO and ARO regarding electoral
integrity and spending issues for GE2015?
5) What documented action did the RO or ARO take to address these
complaints?
6) What formal or informal warnings were issued to candidates or political
parties?
7) What complaints were referred to local police?

Background:
[9]http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__...

Yours faithfully,

Joel M Benjamin

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[10][FOI #338849 email]

Is [11][Rossendale Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Rossendale Borough Council? If so, please contact
us using this form:
[12]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

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If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Rossendale Borough Council request email]
3. http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/
4. https://twitter.com/RossendaleBC
5. https://www.facebook.com/RossendaleCouncil
6. http://www.visitrossendale.com/
8. http://www.rossendalenews.org.uk/
9. http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__...
10. mailto:[FOI #338849 email]
11. mailto:[Rossendale Borough Council request email]
12. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
13. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
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Jennifer Cook, Rossendale Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Benjamin

 

Further to your freedom of information request dated 7^th June 2016, the
Council’s response is as follows:-

 

The Acting Returning Officer is not covered by the Freedom of Information
Act.  However the Council will provide the following information:-

 

Each nomination pack for Parliamentary election candidates in 2015
included a copy of the Electoral Commission’s information for Candidates
and Agents.  A copy of the information can be found here
[1]http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-...

 

Right to Review

 

If you wish to request a review of your response, please contact Mrs Clare
Birtwistle, Legal Services Manager, Rossendale Borough Council, The
Business Centre, Futures Park, Bacup, OL13 0BB or email
[2][email address]

 

If you remain dissatisfied you have a right to appeal to the Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF.  Telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 54 57 45 or visit their website at
[3]https://ico.org.uk/

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Regards

 

 

Jenni Cook

Committee Officer

Committee & Member Services, Room 213, Futures Park, Bacup, OL13 0BB

01706 252424

[4][email address]

Freedom of Information Requests can be submitted at
[5][Rossendale Borough Council request email]

Web: [6]www.rossendale.gov.uk

Twitter: [7]@RossendaleBC

Facebook: [8]Rossendale Borough Council

Visit Rossendale: [9]http://www.visitrossendale.com/

 

[10]cid:image001.png@01D165B4.75262D90

Click [11]here to get all the latest Council and Community news for
Rossendale

 

From: Joel M Benjamin [mailto:[FOI #338849 email]]
Sent: 07 June 2016 14:40
To: Freedom Of Information
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Returning Officers
Communications, Candidate Briefings, Warnings & Police Complaints - 2015
General Election

 

Dear Rossendale Borough Council,

The following information is sought in relation to communications,
briefings, warnings and complaints issued by council Returning Officer &
associated staff to prospective MP candidates, political parties and
police in the lead up to, and conduct of, and subsequent enquiries into,
the 2015 General Election.

FOIA Questions:

1) Were all GE2015 MP candidates issued with written guidelines including
election procedures and spending rules, in line with Electoral Commission
guidance? (see below for details)
2) Please provide copies of GE2015 briefing sheets and written guidance
provided by the Returning Officer (RO) or Acting Returning Officer (ARO)
to prospective MPs.
3) What procedures and processes did the RO or ARO have in place to
identify and manage issues threatening the legitimacy of the electoral
process relating to MPs expenses? How were they implemented?
4) What complaints were lodged with the RO and ARO regarding electoral
integrity and spending issues for GE2015?
5) What documented action did the RO or ARO take to address these
complaints?
6) What formal or informal warnings were issued to candidates or political
parties?
7) What complaints were referred to local police?

Background:
[12]http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__...

Yours faithfully,

Joel M Benjamin

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[13][FOI #338849 email]

Is [14][Rossendale Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Rossendale Borough Council? If so, please contact
us using this form:
[15]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[16]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[17]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://ico.org.uk/
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[Rossendale Borough Council request email]
6. http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/
7. https://twitter.com/RossendaleBC
8. https://www.facebook.com/RossendaleCouncil
9. http://www.visitrossendale.com/
11. http://www.rossendalenews.org.uk/
12. http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__...
13. mailto:[FOI #338849 email]
14. mailto:[Rossendale Borough Council request email]
15. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
16. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
17. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...