Hot Diggity Dog! (22/01/15)

Within an hour of publishing yesterday's post about FOI and NLC the Council was in touch to say that the missing Appendix 5 from its 2005 Corporate Management Team report has suddenly been found.

Amazingly, the Council responded by releasing a copy of the CMT report which it was ordered to do by the Scottish Information Commissioner, but did so early because the document did not have to be released until 24 January 2015.  

Presumably the Council had no option because the game would have been given away if NLC had responded to my outstanding 15 December 2014 FOI request which asked some very pointed questions about the mysterious disappearance of the missing Appendix while raising the possibility of calling in Police Scotland.

So the document has all of a sudden turned up even though NLC previously assured the Scottish Information Commissioner that, having searched everywhere, nothing could be found.

I haven't had time to study the document or the 'missing' Appendix yet, but hope to do so later today.

NLC and FOI (21 January 2015)

Despite the ongoing settlement talks I've had to write to North Lanarkshire Council in connection with an outstanding FoI request which I submitted back on 15 December 2014.

For some reason the Council's FoI Co-ordinator has responded to a later request, but not the one regarding a potentially significant report to North Lanarkshire's Corporate Management Team in 2005. 

I wonder why?


Dear Neil

FoI Request

Thank you for your letter dated 20 January 2015 and the response to my FoI request dated 17 December 2014.

I assume you are responsible for dealing with all FoI requests and, if so, you will be aware of my letter dated 15 December 2014 to the Council's chief executive Gavin Whitefield which contained a separate and prior FoI request to North Lanarkshire Council.

Strangely, my request dated 17/12/14 has been answered but not the earlier one dated 15/12/14, a copy of which is attached to this letter for ease of reference.

Please note that if I do not receive a full response to my FoI request dated 15/12/14 by close of play today, I will immediately raise the matter with the Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC).

I am copying this letter to the Council's chief executive, Gavin Whitefield, for information.

Kind regards

Mark Irvine

15 December 2014

Gavin Whitefield

Chief Executive

North Lanarkshire Council

BY E-MAIL TO: whitefieldg@northlan.gov.uk

Dear Mr Whitefield

FOISA Request 

I would like to make the following request under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002.

1 Please confirm the identity of the Council official responsible for conducting the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Appendix 5 from the report to the Council's Corporate Management Team dated August 2005?

2 Please confirm which Council officer was responsible for writing the original CMT report and with whom?

3 Please confirm the details of the 'distribution list' for this CMT document and the identities of the various individuals to whom the report was sent?

4 Please confirm whether the information contained in Appendix 5 can be reconstructed, in full or in part, from other documents (in draft or other form) which are still in the Council's possession? If none of the information can be reconstructed or recovered from other sources, please explain why? 

5 Please confirm the details of what steps the Investigating Officer took to obtain a copy of the missing document? 

6 Please confirm whether the deliberate removal or theft of Appendix 5 has been considered as a possible explanation for the document's sudden disappearance?

7 Please confirm whether Police Scotland have been invited to investigate the deliberate removal or theft of the CMT document as a possible case of misfeasance or malfeasance in public office? Which is, of course, a criminal offence.

8 Please provide me with a copy of the Investigation Report referred to at Point 1 above along with copies of all internal correspondence (including emails) relating to the Council's investigation into this incident?        

I look forward to your reply and would be grateful if you could respond to me by e-mail to: markirvine@compuserve.com

    

Kind regards

Mark Irvine