Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Middlesbrough Council Freedom of Information requests: don’t expect answers to your questions MBC FOI play the run-around game when dealing with FOI requests.
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Middlesbrough Council FOI Requests

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Freedom of Information Act 2000
Anyone – anywhere in the world – can submit a Freedom of Information Act request to any public authority or wholly owned public company in the UK. There are over a hundred thousand public authorities, which include everything from the Home Office down to your local parish council – all authorities come under the umbrella of the Freedom of Information Act
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/contents
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/governmentc ... dg_4003239
http://www.ico.gov.uk/
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/content/1/c6 ... erview.pdf
What do they know dot com
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/midd ... gh_council
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MBC FOI requests

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MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL FOI REQUESTS
List FOI requests to Middlesbrough Council
Did MBC answer your request:- yes or no
MBC refusal to answer FOI - Post the reason given by MBC
foi@Middlesbrough.gov.uk
Such request will be handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
and the Council aims to be able to provide a response to your query within 20 working days.
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Re: MBC FOI requests

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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Thank you for your e mail received on 31st August 2005 . Your request was
passed to the Council’s Freedom of Information Office and I have been asked
to respond to the issues you raised.
Question
Are there any outstanding financial liabilities on behalf of the council
in respect of the old council housing stock now in Erimus hands? If so
then please list the MBC financial commitments to Erimus?
Response
Asbestos
Prior to the Transfer the Council engaged specialist surveyors to carryout
inspections in relation to Asbestos.
The survey revealed potential presence in a number of properties and
estimated the cost of dealing with this at around £13m.
The transfer has a requirement on the Company ( Erimus ) to spend upto
£13,129,223.00 on dealing with the problem, any additional expenditure
could fall on the council.
To protect the Council, Erimus have to provide an annual report detailing
the progress and expenditure. The council will then monitor progress
against expenditure
Environmental Pollution
The council also have an obligation should any development works to land
transferred encounter un- foreseen contamination or pollution.
This is not an additional obligation on the council, the risk existed prior
to transfer. However to cover this the council has Environmental insurance.

If you wish to discuss the response, please do not hesitate to contact me
direct on (01642) 729696
or alternatively email foi@middlesbrough.gov.uk Please remember to quote
the reference number
above in future communications.
If you are not satisfied with the decision you may ask for an internal
review via by writing to:
Chris Davies
Corporate Complaints Manager
Middlesbrough Council
P.O. Box 99A
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 2QQ
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Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

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Middlesbrough Council refusing to answer FOI requests again........

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/midd ... gh_council
Dear Middlesbrough Council,
1. How many staff work in the legal department of Middlesbrough
Council?
2. How much did MC spend on legal fees in the 2010-2011 financial
year?
3. How many members of MC's legal department have accepted
hospitality from local law firm, Dickinson Dees LLP, between 1
November 2011 and 20 December 2011? (hospitality shall include any
invitations to parties, meals, entertainment and other events)?
What is the cumulative declared value of such hospitality?
Yours faithfully,
Rupert Pumpkin
Dear Mr Pumpkin
REF NO: 2748.1.1.
I am writing to confirm that Middlesbrough Council has now completed its
search for the information you requested on 21 December 2011
In your request you asked for the following information:
1. How many staff work in the legal department of Middlesbrough Council?
Response: 31 (headcount)
2. How much did MC spend on legal fees in the 2010-2011 financial year?
Response: The information you requested is not held centrally. In order
to provide the information requested will require an excessive amount of
staff time to compile all the requested information, which would exceed 18
hours.
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act allows public authorities to
refuse to answer requests for information if the cost of complying would
exceed the "appropriate limit" prescribed in the Regulations. The
appropriate limit as set out in the Act is £450 (an hourly rate of £25 per
person per hour for a maximum of 18 hours in total). To fully comply with
your request we have estimated that it would breach the appropriate fees
limit of £450 and therefore we are refusing your request for information.
However, under section 16 of the Freedom of information Act we do have a
duty to advise and assist .
So in order to be as helpful as possible, I can confirm that the total
expenditure in legal expense accounts for the whole of the authority was £
933,901.07. This excludes legal fees relating to the Surtees equal pay
claim. However these figures include court fees and employment tribunal
payments.
3. How many members of MC's legal department have accepted hospitality
from local law firm, Dickinson Dees LLP, between 1 November 2011 and 20
December 2011? (hospitality shall include any invitations to parties,
meals, entertainment and other events)?
Response: None
What is the cumulative declared value of such hospitality?
Response: N/A
If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to
contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or email
[Middlesbrough Council request email] Please remember to quote the reference number
shown above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled you may ask
for an internal review within 40 days of receipt of the response. You
should write to:-
Chris Davies,
Corporate Complaints Manager,
P.O. Box 503,
Ground Floor,
Town Hall,
Middlesbrough,
TS1 9FX
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an
independent review. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: -
Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely
Steph Robson
Freedom of Information Officer
Members' Office
P.O. Box 503
Ground Floor
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FX
Tel. 01642 729696
FAX. 01642 729882
Email: [Middlesbrough Council request email]
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

Empty Commercial Properties in Middlesbrough
FOI requests:- Middlesbrough Council FOI dated November 2011
How many hundreds of thousands of £££'s are missing from the MBC Budget due to
“The Local Voice” of Middlesbrough Labour Party and their collective creative emptiness
of Middlesbrough “town centre wards which were among the most deprived in the country”
read more about "The Local Voice"

http://middlesbrough-council.com/forum/ ... =508#p4221
Middlesbrough Council
20 December 2011
Dear Mr. ####
REF NO: 2714.1
Records Management Officer
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FX
Read the document here 96 pages of lost revenue
http://middlesbrough-council.com/mbc_pd ... 45,000.pdf
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

a busy bee site
there are more questions than answers
when it comes to getting the truth from Middlesbrough Council
:lol: :lol: :lol: ;)
From: Ali Khan
24 January 2012
Dear Middlesbrough Council,
1.
Please supply a copy of “The Contract” made between Middlesbrough
Council and Erimus Housing in regard Middlesbrough Council Housing
stock transfer
2.
Please supply details of the exact agreed charge / cost to Erimus
Housing for the transfer
3
Please supply details of payment/s made by Erimus Housing to
Middlesbrough Council regarding the housing stock transfer contract
4
Middlesbrough Council housing transferred to Erimus Housing please
give the exact number of properties involved
5
Please supply the details of any Middlesbrough Council land
involved in the housing stock transfer
6
Please supply the details of any Middlesbrough Council commercial
property involved in the housing stock transfer
7
Please supply the details of any covenants / embargoes /
stipulations / restrictions made by Middlesbrough Council and or
central Government regarding the housing stock transfer
Yours faithfully,
Ali Khan
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m ... ing-246394
:lol: :lol: :lol: ;)
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

who should be paying for what
26 May 2011
Dear Middlesbrough Council,
Please can you provide a list of non-domestic rates assessments in
your authority area in excess of £30,000 Rateable Value detailing
the company name, hereditament address including postcode and
Rateable Value.
Yours faithfully,
Clare White
Read more
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/n ... ing-207322
MBC response
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/7 ... %20ATT.xls
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

Will MBC answer the stock transfer FOI request in full?
Will other participants to MBC FOI receive full information?
Will MBC fob off FOI requests with the usual – it will cost……
Answer = unknown

Will Grovehill housing demolition continue despite drastic housing shortages?
Will MBC Executive continue to pay themselves more?
Answer = known

Do pigs fly in Middlesbrough
Answer = you bet they do

Freedom of Information Act 2000
How quickly will I get a response?
By law, public authorities must respond promptly to requests.
Even if they are not prompt, in nearly all cases they must respond within 20 working days.
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

Are chickens coming home to roost?

Middlesbrough Town Hall officers and or members seem to be surfing the internet by means of Public Funded IT facilities
Ray Mallon announced mass Cuts in Services and rises in Community Charges
How can Middlesbrough Council justify these Cuts and CC rises
When it appears town hall computers are being used to view websites
Is this only the tip of the iceberg?
If officers have that much spare time on their hands the very least residents of Middlesbrough should expect is the immediate announcement of Senior Management job cuts at Middlesbrough Council
BoroBot wrote:Over 20,643 views from Middlesbrough Council IP 81.108.107.130

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ;)

WHAT IS THE COST TO MIDDLESBROUGH TO TAX PAYERS :?: :?:
NOT EXACTLY CUT BACK FRIENDLY
CALCULATED AT A FEW MINUTES A VIEW THAT'S OVER 1OO WORKING DAYS
SPENT VIEWING MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL NEWS FORUM
@ MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ;)
http://middlesbrough-council.com/forum/ ... =512#p4217
From: John Wicker
25 January 2012
Dear Middlesbrough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.
I would like to request the following breakdown of the Council's
hardware maintenance and costs:
A list of the models of the physical servers, storage devices, tape
libraries, network switches and routers under support contracts; as
well as the cost and duration of said contracts, with start and end
dates and service level associated with the equipment. Could you
also supply the names of the suppliers of aforementioned support
services?
I would also request the name of the person/s in your organisation
responsible for the maintenance support contracts.
Yours faithfully,
John Wicker
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i ... rvices_372

:lol: :lol: :lol: ;)
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

A series of film & photos taken these last five years would suggest the numbers quoted are highly inflated

Try FOI ~ for the facts behind the figures ~ and or ~ RockcliffeRover could do the maths ;)

AROUND 700,000 people have visited mima since its opening a total of 34% of visitors to mima are from Middlesbrough

so how many Middlesbrough residents have visited mima :?:

BoroBot works it out to mean every resident in Middlesbrough visited mima just over two times ~ RR help out BB ;)


:lol: :lol: :lol: ;)
AROUND 700,000 people have visited mima since its opening, including 46,000 people who have taken part in educational events at the gallery. Research last year showed mima’s economic impact on the town was around £820,000 a year.
Grants awarded to mima to help build up its collection have included £1m from the Art Fund International to help build one of the country’s most important collections of post-war American art and £150,000 from the Northern Rock Foundation to collect ceramics and jewellery. mima has won the prestigious Art fund Collect award on three out of four occasions. A total of 34% of visitors to mima are from Middlesbrough, 52% are from the rest of the North-east, 8% are from Yorkshire and Humberside, 3% are from the rest of the UK and 3% are from overseas.
Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... z1kZd6IqdL
read more
Re: MIMA.......... TRUTH?????
by BoroBot » Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:30 pm
Middlesbrough Council: cooking the books & fiddling with figures master class
AROUND 700,000 people have visited mima since its opening
http://middlesbrough-council.com/forum/ ... t=57#p4336


view RR’s blog:
The future of mima. January 26, 2012 by rocklifferover http://bettermiddlesbrough.wordpress.com/
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

From: Dan Thomas
27 January 2012
Dear Middlesbrough Council,
I would like to know the following information (as quickly as
possible) under Part 1 the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Since the start of the Council's controversial older housing policy
in 2004/5, which includes the demolition of terraced houses in
Gresham, I would like to know the following information:
1. (i)How many houses todate (and in total) are or have been
empty/demolished from the very start of this programme and as a
result, (ii) how much council tax (GBP's) in total has been lost up
to the end of 2011, as a direct result of that policy?
In other words, (that might help you with the answer to my
question), in summary, I would like to know the total amount of
council tax that has been lost (not collected due to the house
being stood empty or demolished) over the period from 2004 - 2011,
due to the council persuing a policy of 'clearance' in Gresham,
over the period of time quoted.
Your answer should tell me clearly the total amount of Council Tax
which could have been collected (but was not) had the demolition
policy NOT been persued by the council.
Yours sincerely,
Dan Thomas
Middlesbrough Council
27 January 2012
Dear Mr Thomas
REF NO: 2808.1.1
Thank you for your recent enquiry, received on 27 January 2012. We can
confirm that your enquiry is receiving attention and a response will be
provided within 20 working days following receipt of your enquiry as
allowed under the Freedom of Information Act legislation.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I will
let you know the likely charges before proceeding.
Please do not hesitate to contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or
email [Middlesbrough Council request email] should you require any further advice or
assistance with this or any other matter.
Yours sincerely
Steph Robson
Freedom Of Information Officer
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/l ... ing-248595
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Re: Middlesbrough Council:- Freedom of Information

Post by BoroBot »

Oh what a web we weave………….
Dear Mr Khan

REF NO: 2799.1.1

Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your
request received on 24 January 2012, in which you asked for the following
information:

1. Please supply a copy of “The Contract” made between Middlesbrough
Council and Erimus Housing in regard Middlesbrough Council Housing stock
transfer

Response: On investigation it was found that there were approximately
2600 pages for the full contract contained within 5 lever arch files, 29
reports and 2 sets of A3 maps and lists. Some of the information
contained within the contract would have to be redacted as it relates to
third party personal data which we have a duty to withhold as per section
40 of the Freedom of Information Act; if disclosure would contravene any
of the Data Protection principles in the Data Protection Act 1998 and some
is commercially sensitive which would be exempt under Section 43 of the
Freedom of Information Act.

ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE

Full copy with redactions

If we were to provide you with a copy of the full document , a fee is
payable to us before we can provide you with the information. The
estimated cost of processing your request is £ 286.80.
An explanation of how this estimate was calculated is follows:

2259(A4 - black & white)
1st hundred sheets x 0.10p = £ 10.00
2159 x 0.05 = £ 107.95
158 (A3 - black & white) x 0.20p = £ 31.60
183 (A3 - coloured) maps x £0.75 = £ 137.25

Total Payment = £ 286.80

This is based upon the Councils fees policy, whereby the charges are as
follows:

A4 single-sided (B&W) 0.10 pence for the first hundred sheets then 0.05
pence for subsequent sheets

A3 single-sided (B&W) 0.20 pence per sheet

*A3 single-sided (coloured) 0.75 pence per sheet

Payment should be made payable to Middlesbrough Council as soon as
possible. However, if the actual cost of complying with the request is
less than the estimate the balance will be returned to you. Please note
that the time limit for responding to your request is suspended until
Middlesbrough Council receive the payment.

If Middlesbrough Council does not receive your payment by 21 May 2012,
which is three months from the date of this response, we will consider
your request closed.

Revised Request

It may be possible to provide you with some of the information you
requested for a lesser fee than the one quoted above, if you are prepared
to limit the scope of your request or specify which part(s) of the
contract you require. I have attached below a copy of the contract index
to assist you.

Inspect documents

Alternatively if you can inspect/review the contract in person free of
charge by appointment only. However, you would still be required to
specify which parts of the contract you would like to inspect as we would
need to redact any information which would be personal or commercially
sensitive data prior to your visit. If you wish to make an appointment,
please do not hesitate to email [Middlesbrough Council request email] or contact me
direct on (01642) 729696.

2. Please supply details of the exact agreed charge / cost to Erimus
Housing for the transfer

Response: "Price" shall mean the sum of one hundred and ninety five
million, five hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fourteen pounds
(£195,503,514) in respect of the Property which reflects the value of the
Council’s covenant to carry out the Qualifying Works at its own expense
pursuant to Clause 16.8 of this Agreement but subject to adjustment in
accordance with Clause 4.2;

3. Please supply details of payment/s made by Erimus Housing to
Middlesbrough Council regarding the housing stock transfer contract

Response: The information you have requested is held by the authority,
however it would be extremely difficult to extract any payments made to
the council from Erimus Housing for the period November 2004 to date, as
it would involve a lengthy search through manual and electronic files.

Therefore we feel that we could not provide this information even for one
individual year within the appropriate fees limit as it would involve
lengthy searches through manual and electronic files and would take more
than 18 hours to complete
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act allows public authorities
to refuse to answer requests for information if the cost of complying
would exceed the "appropriate limit" prescribed in the Regulations. The
appropriate limit as set out in the Act is £450 (an hourly rate of £25 per
person per hour for a maximum of 18 hours in total)

The Council feels that at this time we do not have the resources to carry
out the above search for a fee and therefore we must refuse this part of
your request.

4. Middlesbrough Council housing transferred to Erimus Housing please give
the exact number of properties involved

Response: 11,968.

5. Please supply the details of any Middlesbrough Council land involved in
the housing stock transfer

Response: The information requested is contained within 183 A3 Disposal
Boundary Maps. If you require a copy of the information please see the
fee provided above *.

6. Please supply the details of any Middlesbrough Council commercial
property involved in the housing stock transfer

Response: See above response provided for question 5.

7 Please supply the details of any covenants / embargoes / stipulations /
restrictions made by Middlesbrough Council and or central Government
regarding the housing stock transfer

Response: See above response provided for question 1.

If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to
contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or email
[Middlesbrough Council request email] Please remember to quote the reference number
shown above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled you may ask
for an internal review within 40 days of receipt of the response. You
should write to:-
Chris Davies,
Corporate Complaints Manager,
P.O. Box 503,
Ground Floor,
Town Hall,
Middlesbrough,
TS1 9FX

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an
independent review. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: -
Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Steph Robson
Freedom of Information Officer

Members' Office
P.O. Box 503
Ground Floor
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FX

Tel. 01642 729696

FAX. 01642 729882
Email: [Middlesbrough Council request email]

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m ... ing-258407
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