Council Waste of Tax Payers Money

waterbaby

IvanOpinion wrote:

You can find out pretty much anything you want.

Ivan

There's plenty of exemptions though.

For example, they don't have to do any work to create the information, it must already be available as requested.

If it is intended for future publication they don't have to give you it.

There's also exemptions to do issues like with national security. The public benefit from releasing the info must outweight the possible detriment to the public as a result of the info being in the public domain.

I think that if a request is too expensive to deal with it can be refused as well. It might be £600?

The Data Protection Act takes priority.

There's more (too many to list here) but I'm sure you get the idea.

They must give you your information within 20 working days, or inform you of the exemption that they are applying.

There's more at http://www.foi.gov.uk/guidance/index.htm

trace-j

dccarm wrote:

Looks like someone had some of their budget left over at the year end and couldn't think of anything practical to do with it.

My wife to be works for a council and when she was buying her new laptop they gave her a purchase order and sent her to Comet to buy it at retail price. No bulk discount, or national price agreement or anything!

(I just clicked on the link. That's obscene! - is it really the same model? You should be writing to your MP, councillor, Gordon Brown, or anyone that will listen)

More than likely. The department would rather spend the money, than have it left over and then take a cut the following year as underspent. Shame really since there are other council services that really need the cash but never get it.

If that TV could also be linked to anything to do with diabilities or equalities then no questions get asked. This isn't meant to be offensive, but councils are more than happy to throw a considerable amount of money at being seen to be providing services for all, instead of thinking of a more moneysaving solution. In this case, a cheaper TV.

Have you contacted your local paper? I'd love to see what the response is from a council officer who has had their media training!

Mr_Skint_2

So why dont councils save the money they havent spent and save it for
Hospitals, Hospices,Pensioners,or Until an Emergency is called upon
say for example, a nursing home has a major repair to be carried out.

I hate my council. Should I put There name here?

nelly_2

The biggest anual waste is a bloody mayor!

All they seem to do is turn up at fetes and schools to get their photo taken for the local rag. Plus car plus chaufer plus ridiculous hip hop rappers gold chain.

Remember the football mascot dressed as a monkey in gateshead or newcastle well he ran for mayor as a joke and got the position.

£51000 a year hes on now

Older_but_not_wiser_2

I work for a government agency, and for the past few years, we have had to make a 5% saving each year.

However, all of the managers seem to be wandering about with new laptops/projectors, and we are getting a total replacement of all our IT equipment this year.

We even have a plasma TV ( not as expensive as the model shown) which rotates through a few powerpint screens which no-one takes notice of.

It's not just councils who are frivolous with cash, it's rife within the Civil Service as well.

I wonder where our 5% savings will come from this year? (mmm, there's a pay review coming up soon :mad: )

Mr_Skint_2

Funny this one should come up Today as its a bit old now but in saying
that I reported my findings to the Local Bristol Evening Post to see
if they can get a story about this.

mogoot

IvanOpinion wrote:

Did I not here about some hospital trust spending 70K on a lump of rock?

The £70 thousand was donated to the hospital on the condition that it was spent on artwork. And considering it's outside a hospital that cost £420 million, £70k is nothing. Besides, I rather like it.