Information request
Our reference: 55202701

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Dear Mr Whiting 
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 18
September 2024  requesting:

1.Please provide a breakdown of the total revenue generated by the council
through selective licensing fees for the last three years.

2.Please provide a detailed breakdown of how the selective licensing fees
have been spent, including administrative costs, enforcement actions,
inspections, and any other related expenses for the last three years.

3.Please confirm whether any surplus generated from selective licensing
fees has been used for purposes other than administering the scheme. If
so, provide details of where those funds have been allocated.

4.What percentage of the selective licensing fee income has been spent on
enforcement, inspections, and improving property conditions?

5.Please provide details of any income the council has received from
additional charges, such as fees for email reminders, re-inspections, or
document submissions, as part of the selective licensing process.

6.Have the fees generated a profit?

Administration of the scheme:
7.Please clarify whether funds generated through selective licensing are
used to cover the costs of administering the scheme. If additional
administrative costs are incurred, provide a breakdown of those costs and
their funding sources.

8.Has the council charged landlords additional fees for issuing reminder
emails or requests for missing documentation as part of the selective
licensing scheme? If so, how much revenue has been generated from these
charges?

9.Please provide a copy of the council's policy or guidelines on how
selective licensing funds are allocated and what proportion of these funds
are earmarked for administration versus enforcement or improvement
purposes.

10.Please provide evidence of how the council ensures that funds raised
through selective licensing are used solely for the purposes outlined in
the Housing Act 2004.

11.Has the council undertaken any external audits or reviews to ensure
compliance with the legal framework governing selective licensing? If so,
please provide the results of these reviews.
12.Please provide documentation or justification for the fee structure of
the selective licensing scheme, including any cost-benefit analysis that
shows how the fees correlate with the costs of administering the scheme.
 
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000  and we aim to send a response by 16 October 2024.
 
In some case, a fee may be payable. If we decide a fee is payable, we will
send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before
proceeding with your request.
 
The Freedom of Information Act 2000  may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions  apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and
to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
 
We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
Yours faithfully
 
 
Robi Rajib
Information Governance Officer
Information Governance

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

Dear Mr Whiting

Your request for information has been considered under the requirements of
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Tower Hamlets
Council and is attached to this email.  I apologise for the delay.

The information has also been put on the Council's Disclosure Log, where
you can also search for information supplied on other topics.

The Council's website www.towerhamlets.gov.uk contains a section on the
Freedom of Information Act that lists other publications readily available
from the Council under its Publication Scheme.

Conditions for the re-use of information where the copyright is owned by
the London Borough of Tower Hamlets can be found on our website.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
original letter and should be addressed to:

Complaints and Information

Tower Hamlets Town Hall

160 Whitechapel Road

London

E1 1BJ

[email address] 

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:

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Telephone: 01625 545 700

Website: www.ico.gov.uk 

Yours sincerely

Jane Jones

Information Governance Officer

Legal Services

020 7364 2197

[email address]