What's The Big Secret?


Given all the rumours swirling around South Lanarkshire I've decided to contact the Council with a another Freedom of Information request - details of which are set out in the letter below to the Chief Executive, Lindsay Freeland.

Now you would have thought this information would already be freely available - perhaps via the Council's web site - where is says South Lanarkshire supports openness and transparency - or even via the trade unions who must know the answers to at least some of these points.

In all my experience of dealing with Scottish local government which goes back many years - South Lanarkshire is the only council in Scotland to behave in this way.

But I'm pleased to say that there are now more people asking questions of the Council and holding it to account - which is, after all, what local democracy and good government is about.  

So it will be interesting to see if the Council responds with some straight answers for a change - which would have the added advantage of saving lots of public money by keeping South Lanarkshire out of the UK Supreme Court. 

13 May 2013


Lindsay Freeland
Chief Executive
South Lanarkshire Council
BY E-MAIL
Dear Mr Freeland

FOISA Request

I would like to make the following requests under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act (FOISA) 2002. 
  1. Please confirm whether any reviews, re-evaluations or re-gradings of council jobs are taking place in April/May 2013?
  2. Please confirm the job categories and number of council employees affected by these reviews, re-evaluations or re-gradings?
  3. Please confirm the number of men and women involved in each job category?
  4. Please confirm the reason/reasons for each review, re-evaluation or re-grading?
  5. Please confirm when and how the trade unions were informed of the reviews, re-evaluations or re-gradings?
  6. Please confirm the nature of the trade union response to each review, re-evaluation or re-grading?
  7. Please confirm whether any change to terms and conditions is being sought by collective agreement with the trade unions?
  8. Please confirm whether any change to terms and conditions is being sought by individual agreement with individual council employees?
I would be grateful if you treat each of these requests as separate requests under FOISA 2002.

I look forward to your reply and would ask that you respond to me by e-mail at: markirvine@compuserve.com

Kind regards


Mark Irvine

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