Councillors (Democratic Services) - Freedom of Information Requests

Disclosure Log - Councillors (Democratic Services)

2024

November

Reference: 3584033

Subject:

I would like the details of expenses claimed by your council’s leader.

I would like the expenses claimed from 31 August 2023 to 31 August 2024 (inclusive).

I would like the following details:

the date of the expense
what was the monetary value
a description of what it was, e.g. "business dinner for six people". If no description of the reason for the expense is available, a simple description of what was paid for will suffice, e.g. "business class flight", "uber taxi".

I would like all expenses including those which were reimbursements, made on a company credit card or booked internally through any admin system used by the council (for example, some businesses use a travel portal that facilitates the booking of trains and hotels).

Response date: 29 November 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3584033.

Reference: 3588790

Subject:

The number of candidates of Polish or Polish descent who have stood for election within your local authority area in the last five years.
The number of councillors of Polish or Polish descent currently serving in your local authority.
The number of councillors of Polish or Polish descent who have served in your local authority in the past five years.

Response date: 20 November 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3588790.

September

Reference: 3557522

Subject:

Could you provide me with the blazon and date of grant of the council's armorial bearings? You will find these on the letters patent granting the arms. It may be simpler for you to photograph the relevant sections.

Response date: 5 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3557522.

February

Reference: 2581020

Subject:

Good afternoon. I want to request information about the training and experience the present Planning Committee members have undertaken between the local elections in May 2023 and the Planning Committee meeting on the 6 July 2023.

Response date: 19 February 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2581020.

Reference: 2580800

Subject:

The amount of money in pounds (£) that your Local Authority has spent on maintaining Mayoral memorabilia (i.e. the Mayoral chains) in each of the financial years a) 2019-20, b) 2020-21, c) 2021-22, d) 2022-23, e) 2023-24

The amount of money in pounds (£) was spent on your Local Authorities communications department (i.e. staff costs) in each of the financial years a) 2019-20, b) 2020-21, c) 2021-22, d) 2022-23, e) 2023-24

The amount of money in pounds (£) was spent on travel cost for Councillors elected to your Local Authority (i.e. taxi costs) in each of the financial years a) 2019-20, b) 2020-21, c) 2021-22, d) 2022-23, e) 2023-24

Response date: 19 February 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2580800.

January

Reference: 2574534

Subject:

Do your councillors get a discretionary allowance to spend on training individually as they choose?
How much is this amount annually?
How many councillors are on your council?
How many have used their discretionary allowance?
How much have they spent and on what service, training, activity or otherwise?

Response date: 29 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2574534.

Reference: 2548271

Subject:

If your local authority doesn’t not have an overview and scrutiny system please answer the following in relation to the committee within your councils which has audit responsibilities.

If your local authority has an overview and scrutiny system please note that as audit committees are not formally treated as part of scrutiny it may be that they are treated differently in the council’s constitution and policies.

Please confirm whether you are responding to this request in relation to scrutiny committees and/or audit committees.

If your local authority has an overview and scrutiny committee system, please confirm how many committees (excluding audit) are part of that system?

Policy on Selection & Appointment of Committee Chairs: Please provide the council’s current policy on selection and appointment of scrutiny committee chairs and audit committee chairs. Please either copy and paste the section of council policy relating to the selection of scrutiny and audit committee chairs or provide a link and details of the section/sub-section within the document where we can locate this information.

Current Political Configuration of Committee Chairs/Conveners: Please provide a figure showing what percentage of current scrutiny and audit committee chairs (or conveners) are members of an opposition party to the main controlling party or controlling coalition.

Response date: 12 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2548271.

Reference: 2566151

Subject:

In the last 5 years how many complaints has your council received against members of the council?

Can you give the above figure broken down by year?

How many complaints were progressed to an investigation?

How many complaints led to some form of standards hearing?

In those cases that progressed to a standards hearing, what were the charges/allegations/complaints and how many of those were upheld/found to be proved against the councillor?

Where allegation were upheld/found to be proved, what sanctions, penalties or punishments were imposed?

Please can you break the answers to 3-6 down by year or give dates for the investigations and hearings?

Response date: 12 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2566151.

Reference: 2548276

Subject:

CIPFA Guidance on Local Authority Audit Committees states that “Recommended practice is for audit committees to review and assess themselves annually or to seek an external review.”

We realise that the committee with audit related responsibilities are not always called ‘Audit Committee’. Please can you confirm what the title of this committee is within your local authority and answer the following questions in relation to that committee.

Internal Annual Review of Audit Committee
- For each of the last five financial years please provide me with a copy of the audit committee’s annual review of its work. Please state the date the review was published and how it was made public at the time.
External Review of Audit Committee
- Please confirm the most recent date that an external review of the audit committee was sought, who undertook that review, when and where it was published and provide a copy of the review.

Response date: 3 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2548276.

2023

December

Reference: 2552007

Subject:

Please advise the number of pieces of "casework" raised by each councillor with the authority in the financial year 2022/23 - as a list with the number of queries each councillor has logged. Please include all queries officially logged by each councillor - whether on behalf of a resident or where the councillor has raised the query on his own account.

Response date: 28 December 2023

Response: Response to this request - 2552007.

Reference: 2548268

Subject:

This request relates to uses of the call-in mechanism that forms part of the overview and scrutiny committee system.

If your authority has an overview and scrutiny system please answer the following:

For the past ten years, please confirm how many decisions taken by the council’s cabinet/executive were available for call-in.

Please provide a table showing a breakdown of the following for each year since 2013.

For each year please state how many call-ins there were.

For each call-in please show which committee called them in, what the response was, the topic and provide a link to the relevant committee where the call was discussed.

Response date: 28 December 2023

Response: Response to this request - 2548268.

November

Reference: 2527159

Subject:

How much did last year Mayor of Rushcliffe Tina Combellack raise for her chosen Charity?

Response date: 15 November 2023

Response: Response to this request - 2527159.

September

Reference: 1847699

Subject:

Under the freedom of information act could you please tell us ( Keyworth Parish Council) how many meetings ( official and unofficial) have taken place between anyone at Rushcliffe Borough Council and anyone from the developers of the proposed housing site on land south of Bunny lane Keyworth, this to include any of their agents or representatives, regardless of where any such meetings took place.
Furthermore, please could you provide details of how many telephone/ video calls have taken place between the above mentioned regarding the development.

Response date: 27 September 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1847699.

Reference: 1839882

Subject:

This is an information request relating to payments made for utility expenses for councillors and council staff.

Please include the following information, broken down by the 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years:

The number of payments made for home gas and electricity expenses for councillors and council staff
The total value of payments made for home gas and electricity expenses for councillors and council staff
The number of payments made for home water expenses for councillors and council staff
The total value of payments made for home water expenses for councillors and council staff

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please reduce the number of financial years, starting with the least recent (2018/19) until the request falls within the limits.

Response date: 19 September 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1839882.

August

Reference: 1815389

Subject:

Please provide me with a list of individuals, groups of people and/or bodies, who have been awarded the freedom of your council area, or any similar award or designation.

By similar award or designation, I mean an honorary civic award bestowed by the council on an individual, company, group or military unit with the intent of recognising their contribution to the local area. This would exclude formal civic offices e.g. Mayor. I am interested in receiving the information for any period for which you hold the records.

Response date: 02 August 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1815389.

July

Reference: 1814179

Subject:

I am writing to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act [insert applicable legislation, if known] to obtain information regarding the expenditure of on private number plates, excluding any costs associated with the mayor's car, fire department vehicles, and police vehicles. I kindly request that the following information be provided:

Total Expenditure: Please disclose the total amount spent by on private number plates during the last financial year [April 2022- March 2023]. This figure should exclude any expenses related to the mayor's car, fire department vehicles, and police vehicles.

Breakdown of Expenditure: If possible, please provide a detailed breakdown of the aforementioned expenditure, specifying the individual costs associated with each private number plate purchase. This breakdown should include the amount spent on each plate, the date of purchase, and any additional charges related to registration or administration fees.

Purpose and Justification: Please provide an explanation for the purpose and justification behind the expenditure on private number plates by the council. If there were specific reasons or policies that prompted these purchases, please include them in your response.

Impact on Public Services: Please indicate whether the expenditure on private number plates has had any impact on the provision of public services. If so, please elaborate on the nature of this impact and any steps taken to mitigate it.

Response date: 19 July 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1814179.

March

Reference: 1039011

Subject:

This is an information request relating to members’ allowances

Please include the following information for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years:

The total amount paid in each year to councillors through members’ allowances, including special responsibility allowances (please provide a breakdown if possible)

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.

Response date: 1 March 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1039011.