Finance
- Council expenditure on consultants
- Organisational spend on refuse, ground maintenance and street / gully cleaning
- Suppliers of catering services
- Pension fund for County Councillors
- Councillor contributions to pension fund
- Expenditure on suppliers in 2006, 2007 and 2008
- Council budget in 2010/11 and 2011/12 for supporting young people
- Financial statistics in relation to care homes for the elderly
- What LCC's direct services are receiving in terms of gross fee
- Meetings between anyone representing LCC and various banks plus investments in those banks
- Spend on mobile phone calls
- Research on how councils trade with their suppliers
- Amount the Council spends with Capita PLC
- Recovery of accidental overpayments and duplication payments
- Use of purchasing cards
- Monies received for the Connexions career service
- Breakdown of expenditure on Preston Tithebarn Development
- Breakdown of expenditure on Mid Pennine Reach Project
- Amount spent on retrieving debts
- Money spent on producing and distributing newspapers and spend on PR / communication staff
- Money owed to Community Alliance (Burnley and Padiham) Ltd
Council expenditure on consultants
| Reference | 787.45 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded |
26/01/2010
|
||||||
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
||||||
| Request |
I would like the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:
1) The total amount paid out to consultants by the council for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
2) Details of the work carried out by consultants.
|
||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email of 22 January 2010, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding consultants. We have answered each point of your enquiry below:
1) The total amount paid out to consultants by the council for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
2) Details of the work carried out by consultants.
Please see attached spreadsheet.
|
||||||
| Attachments | Information on consultants |
Organisational spend on refuse, ground maintenance and street / gully cleaning
| Reference | 787.44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded | 15/02/2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request |
I am interested in the total amount your organisation spends on environmental related services (as defined below) on an annual basis. Please could you provide the total spend incurred, both internal and with third parties, for the last three years. In addition please provide a breakdown of all contracts that have been awarded to third parties that are in excess of £150,000.
Environmental related services defined as:
For each third party contract, please could you provide me with the name & value of the contract, the start and end dates (including any options to extend and for how long), and to whom the contract was awarded.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 19th January 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
I am interested in the total amount your organisation spends on environmental related services (as defined below) on an annual basis. Please could you provide the total spend incurred, both internal and with third parties, for the last three years. In addition please provide a breakdown of all contracts that have been awarded to third parties that are in excess of £150,000.
Environmental related services defined as:
For each third party contract, please could you provide me with the name & value of the contract, the start and end dates (including any options to extend and for how long), and to whom the contract was awarded.
Total Expenditure
Contracts over £0.150m:
It is worth noting that both gully emptying and grounds maintenance are delivered by Lancashire County Council or through joint working with partner District Councils.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attachments | None |
Suppliers of catering services
| Reference | 787.72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded |
16/02/2010
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request |
Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 could I please request the following information:
1. A list of the suppliers for the financial year 2008-2009 on catering services (including till systems for canteens) including schools, libraries etc. (any local authority service).
2. Where possible, the amount of money spent with each of these suppliers during this financial year.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 27th January 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attachments | None |
Pension fund for County Councillors
| Reference | 787.193 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
15/03/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
How much does the county council pay into a pension fund for county councillors? That is-how much in a financial year and what by %?
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
We refer to your email dated 7th March 2010, which has been forwarded onto the Freedom of Information Team to deal with under the provisions of the above Act. As a percentage and as a total sum, does the County Council pay into a pension fund for County Councillors. In 2008/9 £87281.53 was paid by Lancashire CC in respect of County Councillors equating to 16.4% of salary. The current employer contribution rate is 17.1%. |
| Attachments |
None
|
Councillor contributions to pension fund
| Reference | 787.238 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
24/03/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
Do county councillors pay a contribution to the pension fund and if so what is it in percentage terms and what was the total in the year in question?
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 24th March 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
Do county councillors pay a contribution to the pension fund and if so what is it in percentage terms and what was the total in the year in question?'
We can confirm that County Councillors do pay a contribution of 6% of earnings to the Pension Fund. The total contribution paid by County Councillor members in 2008/9 was £31,593.91.
|
| Attachments | None |
Expenditure on suppliers in 2006, 2007 and 2008
| Reference | 787.192 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded |
01/04/2010
|
||||||||||
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
||||||||||
| Request |
FOI REQUEST - RELEASE OF INFORMATION RELATING TO EXPENDITURE IN 2006, 07 AND 08
I am interested to learn more about the money spent on your main suppliers in the years 2006, 2007, 2008.
Could you please send me details of the expenditure made to each supplier (who supplied goods or services over £500,000 p.a.) in one or more of these years?
The ideal format would be Excel in a layout similar to below:
I understand that your financial information may relate to your financial year rather than the calendar year. My request is for the last three years of financial data and need not relate to calendar years. Please do include payments made under PFI arrangements.
|
||||||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 9th March 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
The money spent on your main suppliers in the years 2006, 2007, 2008.
Could you please send me details of the expenditure made to each supplier (who supplied goods or services over £500,000 p.a.) in one or more of these years?
Please see the attachments to this email which detail the information you have requested.
|
||||||||||
| Attachments |
2006 (pdf)
2007 (pdf)
2008 (pdf)
|
Council budget in 2010/11 and 2011/12 for supporting young people
| Reference | 787.242 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded |
16/04/2010
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request |
Would you please tell me the Council's budgets in 2010/11 and 2011/12 for supporting young people, i.e. Connexions, positive activities, teenage pregnancies, youth taskforce, substance misuse, mental health and youth service?
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 11th March 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
Would you please tell me the Council's budgets in 2010/11 and 2011/12 for supporting young people, i.e. Connexions, positive activities, teenage pregnancies, youth taskforce, substance misuse, mental health and youth service?
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attachments | None |
Financial statistics in relation to care homes for the elderly
| Reference | 787.225 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
19/04/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
Please can you supply me with the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:
(a) For each of the financial years 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, what was the total amount of revenue support / subsidy* allocated directly from the County Council to support the County Council's own homes for the elderly homes (ie excluding any income from fees) for each of those years (d) During the financial year 2010-11 what is the projected amount of revenue support / subsidy* on such homes (ie excluding any income from fees) (c) What is / will be the total number of bedspaces in the County Council's own homes for the elderly in each of the financial years 2007- 08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. * By subsidy I mean the amount paid by the County Council over and above the weekly rate paid by Social Services under the Contract Units banding scheme. |
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 23rd March 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
For each of the financial years 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, what was the total amount of revenue support / subsidy* allocated directly from the County Council to support the County Council's own homes for the elderly homes (i.e. excluding any income from fees) for each of those years.
2007/08:
£316,000,
2008/09:
£198,000 and
2009/10:
£198,000 respectively
During the financial year 2010-11 what is the projected amount of revenue support / subsidy* on such homes (i.e. excluding any income from fees) No subsidy in 2010/11
What is / will be the total number of bed-spaces in the County Council's own homes for the elderly in each of the financial years 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.
2007/08:
725,
2008/09:
708,
2009/10:
708 and
2010/11:
708 respectively
* By subsidy I mean the amount paid by the County Council over and above the weekly rate paid by Social Services under the Contract Units banding scheme. |
| Attachments |
None
|
What LCC's direct services are receiving in terms of gross fee
| Reference | 787.237 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
19/04/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
Under the freedom of information act I would like to know exactly what LCC's direct services are receiving in terms of gross fee? what they actually have to achieve financially with that gross fee and what exactly do they receive an additional subsidy for? And how their occupancy levels have been over the last three years in each aspect of their services.
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 25th March 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to know exactly what LCC's direct services are receiving in terms of gross fee?
This information is already published here
What they actually have to achieve financially with that gross fee and what exactly do they receive an additional subsidy for?
We are required to cover all operating costs within the fees received. In 2010/11 no additional subsidies will be received.
And how their occupancy levels have been over the last three years in each aspect of their services.
2007/08 87%
2008/09 93%
2009/10 91%
|
| Attachments | None |
Meetings between anyone representing LCC and various banks plus investments in those banks
| Reference | 787.237 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
19/04/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
Under the freedom of information act I would like to know exactly what LCC's direct services are receiving in terms of gross fee? what they actually have to achieve financially with that gross fee and what exactly do they receive an additional subsidy for? And how their occupancy levels have been over the last three years in each aspect of their services.
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 25th March 2010 in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to provide you with a response.
What they actually have to achieve financially with that gross fee and what exactly do they receive an additional subsidy for?
We are required to cover all operating costs within the fees received. In 2010/11 no additional subsidies will be received.
And how their occupancy levels have been over the last three years in each aspect of their services.
2007/08 87%
2008/09 93%
2009/10 91%
|
| Attachments | None |
Spend on mobile phone calls
| Reference | 787.350 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
27/05/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to know how much the council has spent on line rental and calls related to mobile phones provided to staff members in the past financial year (2009/10). I don't need a complete break down of the figures if that would be too time consuming or difficult, but I would like to know how many mobile phones were provided to how many staff members and the amount spent on them during that period
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 10th May 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
Spend in 2009/10:
Vodaphone £814,418 (5626 phones – includes councillors)
Orange £294,252 (2048 phones)
Total £1,108,670 (7674 phones)
|
| Attachments | None |
Research on how councils trade with their suppliers
| Reference | 787.465 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
12/07/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
We are currently conducting research into how councils trade with their suppliers. Accordingly, could you please provide the following information regarding the way your Council trades with its suppliers?
1. How many suppliers does your council receive invoices from over the course of a year?
2. What percentage of your council's suppliers submit their invoices electronically for automatic loading onto your ledger (i.e. by EDI)?
(This means only invoices that are never handled by a person or rekeyed in any way.) 3. How many invoices in total does your council receive and process from suppliers per annum?
4. What percentage of these invoices are automatically loaded onto your ledger without the need for rekeying (i.e. received via EDI)?
5. What is the value of all invoices processed for payment each year?
6. What percentage of invoices are cleared for payment without query?
7. How many hours do staff at your council spend processing invoices each month (this includes time spent opening, rekeying, resolving queries and approving invoices for payment)?
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 23rd June 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
It is not yet possible using our systems in place to easily differentiate between true procurement spend/invoices and other payments. The information contained within the reports requested for your request therefore contains both procurement spend/invoices and other payments. The other payments can consist of: Grant payments; Direct payments to individuals; Payments to foster carers; Lump sum retirement payments; Equal pay settlements. This list is not exhaustive. Payments also include purchases made by Lancashire schools.
1. How many suppliers does your council receive invoices from over the course of a year?
In Financial Year 2009/10 there were 37,378 suppliers/payees with invoices/payments.
2. What percentage of your council's suppliers submit their invoices electronically for automatic loading onto your ledger (i.e. by EDI)? (This means only invoices that are never handled by a person or rekeyed in any way.)
80 suppliers provided EDI invoices. Therefore 80/37,378 = 0.2% of suppliers.
3. How many invoices in total does your council receive and process from suppliers per annum?
In Financial Year 2009/10 a total of 773,642 invoices/payments were processed.
4. What percentage of these invoices are automatically loaded onto your ledger without the need for rekeying (i.e. received via EDI)?
93,412 invoices. Therefore 93,412/773,642 =12%
5. What is the value of all invoices processed for payment each year?
The value of the processed invoices/payments in Financial Year 2009/10 was £1,772,348,678.
6. What percentage of invoices are cleared for payment without query?
Not currently measured.
7. How many hours do staff at your council spend processing invoices each month (this includes time spent opening, rekeying, resolving queries and approving invoices for payment)?
Centrally: 666 hours per week (2664 – 3330hrs per month), this excludes any local processing activity which may occur.
|
| Attachments | None |
Amount the Council spends with Capita PLC
| Reference | 787.434 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
19/07/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
I am researching the growth of the Company Capita PLC. Could you advise me of the amount the Council spends with this Company and to which Department that amount relates to? (Period 2008/2009 and 2009/2010)
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 10th June 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
Could you advise me of the amount the Council spends with this Company and to which Department that amount relates to? (Period 2008/2009 and 2009/2010)
Please find the attached document in response to your request. |
| Attachments | Capital PLC spend (excel) |
Recovery of accidental overpayments and duplication payments
| Reference | 787.429 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded |
11/08/2010
|
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
| Request |
My request concerns the identification and recovery of accidental overpayments and duplicate payments to creditors in the council’s accounts payable system.
If the answer to 3 is yes, what years' data were covered and what was the value of overpayments and duplicate payments to creditors identified and recovered?
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding the submission of 'data to the Audit Commission for data matching under the NFI'. Firstly, please let me apologise for the length of time it has taken to respond to your request.
We have answered each point of your enquiry below:
1. When did Lancashire County Council last submit data to the Audit Commission for data matching under the NFI and what years did they cover?
It is a statutory requirement for Lancashire County Council to participate in the Audit Commission's National Fraud Initiative which is run every two years. The last data was submitted to the Audit Commission in October 2008 and covered data from October 2006 to October 2008. The data will be submitted again in October 2010 and will cover the period October 2008 to October 2010.
2. What was the value of duplicate and overpayments to creditors identified and recovered as a result of that data matching exercise?
The NFI exercise did not identify any duplicate payments that had not already been identified by the duplicate payment finder software detailed in 3 below.
3. Has Lancashire County Council engaged third party profit recovery agencies or undertaken any other internal audit for recovering overpayments and duplicate payments to its creditors over the last two years?
The county council operates duplicate payment finder software throughout the year and takes the necessary action to stop any potential duplicate payments. The controls surrounding duplicate payments are reviewed and reported on by internal audit on an annual basis. Any overpayments are followed up using the most cost effective method of recovery and as part of this process debts are referred to a third party recovery
agency at an appropriate stage.
4. If the answer to 3 is yes, what years' data were covered and what was the value of overpayments and duplicate payments to creditors identified and recovered?
Internal audit for 2008/09 identified a possible 22 duplicate payments to the value of £191,822.36. These were investigated and appropriate action undertaken. One overpayment is partially outstanding for £33,379.42 this has been logged with the insolvency Practioner handling this matter. The overpayments referred to the third party debt recovery agency in the last two years related to 11 overpayments with a value of £1,975.97 of which £1,242.74 is outstanding as at 09/08/2010.
|
| Attachments | None |
Use of purchasing cards
| Reference | 787.648 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded | 07/09/2010 |
| Response Type |
Full disclosure
|
| Request |
If the Lancashire County Council has a purchasing card programme, please could you answer the following queries:
1. Which bank provides your purchasing card scheme?
2. What was the total amount of spend placed through the scheme last financial year (1st April 2009 – 31st March 2010)?
3. When does your contract for the supply of purchasing cards expire?
4. Does the contract have a break clause?
If the organisation does not have a purchasing card programme, please could you confirm this is the case. If the organisation has more than one programme could you provide answers for all the programmes that are currently running in the organisation.
For the avoidance of doubt, purchasing cards are bank cards issued to employees to allow them to purchase goods and services using the organisation’s own funds. They are frequently used for expenses and travel, but can be used for a wide variety of purchasing activities.
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email of 25 August 2010, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding purchasing cards. We have answered each point of your enquiry below.
1. Which bank provides your purchasing card scheme?
Barclaycard Commercial
2. What was the total amount of spend placed through the scheme last financial year (1st April 2009 – 31st March 2010)?
£2.37million
3. When does your contract for the supply of purchasing cards expire?
31 January 2013
4. Does the contract have a break clause?
No.
|
| Attachments |
None
|
Monies received for the Connexions career service
| Reference | 787.647 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded | 10/09/2010 |
| Response Type |
Full disclosure
|
| Request |
In the last financial year (2009/10):
(a) how much money did your local authority receive from central Government for the Connexions careers service?
(b) how much money did your authority spend on the Connexions careers service?
(c) how many interventions did the Connexions careers service make in your local authority? and how many of these were (i) one-to-one personal contact, (ii) telephone calls, (iii) any other means?
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email of 31 August, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
(a) how much money did your local authority receive from central Government for the Connexions careers service?
In 2009/10 LCC received £9,693k Connexions Area Based Grant from the government
(b) how much money did your authority spend on the Connexions careers service?
This entire amount was allocated to deliver connexions activities in Lancashire
(c) how many interventions did the Connexions careers service make in your local authority? and how many of these were (i) one-to-one personal contact, (ii) telephone calls, (iii) any other means?
Please see the attachment |
| Attachments |
Contacts (pdf)
|
Breakdown of expenditure on Preston Tithebarn Development
| Reference | 787.682 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded | 29/09/2010 |
| Response Type |
Full disclosure
|
| Request |
Please confirm the total amount the county council has spent to date on Preston's Tithebarn redevelopment plans.
Please provide a breakdown of the figure, including the cost of any studies commissioned, legal advice, counsel fees etc.
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email of 8 September 2010, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding the Tithebarn redevelopment plans. We have answered your enquiry below.
|
| Attachments |
None
|
Breakdown of expenditure on Mid Pennine Reach Project
| Reference | 787.683 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded | 06/10/2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Type |
Full disclosure
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Request |
Please confirm the total amount of money spent by the council so far on the Pennine Reach scheme.
Please also provide a breakdown of what the costs relate to.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email of 8th September 2010, we are now in a position to respond to your enquiry regarding the Pennine Reach Scheme. We have answered your enquiry below.
The above figures represent Lancashire County Council's contribution to the scheme, with Blackburn with Darwen Council being the other key partner.
In addition, the table below shows the costs incurred in developing the proposal for a new Accrington Bus Station. This is part of the Pennine Reach Scheme but developed independently.
Accrington Bus Station
Total: £121,436.63
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attachments |
None
|
Amount spent on retrieving debts
| Reference | 787.725 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded | 18/10/2010 |
| Response Type |
Full disclosure
|
| Request |
|
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email dated 28th September 2010, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are now in a position to respond.
Cost of recovery team is £267,000. This includes all costs, direct and indirect (i.e. includes IT, salaries, accommodation etc).
In 2009-10 we raised 34,280 invoices totalling £192.1m.
|
| Attachments |
None
|
Money spent on producing and distributing newspapers and spend on PR / communication staff
| Reference | 787.468 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Responded |
25/10/2010
|
||||||||
| Response Type |
Full Disclosure
|
||||||||
| Request |
This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please provide details of the following for the last three years with a breakdown for each year:
a) how much money has been spent on producing and distributing council newspapers
b) how much money is spent per year on PR and communications staff.
c) how much is paid to the highest paid member of PR/communications staff - there is no need to disclose names and therefore this is not covered by the Data Protection Act.
|
||||||||
| Response |
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Further to your email, dated 24 June, in which you request the disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, I am now in a position to respond. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
Expenditure on producing and distributing the council newspaper
The total cost of the production and distribution of the Lancashire County Council newspaper for residents, including planned expenditure for 2010-11, is shown below.
The disparity between different years reflects changes in the frequency of the newspaper's production. In 2009/10 the frequency of the newspaper peaked when it was produced on a monthly basis. In 2010/11, frequency has been reduced to two editions per year, hence a year-on-year saving of £565,962 or approximately 90%.
Please note the county council serves a considerably larger area than most local authorities, with each edition having a circulation of approximately 500,000.
Expenditure on 'PR and communications' staff
We have applied a broad definition of 'PR and communications' to include staff responsible for all of the following:
· Strategic and corporate communications
· Media relations/press office
· Internal communications
· Marketing and communications campaigns
· Websites and social media
All of these functions have been subject to a county council-wide review over the last 18 months culminating in the introduction of a newly centralised Communications Service in August 2010.
The salary costs for the 32 staff under the new model are £973,782 per annum. The total for salary costs plus National Insurance contributions and 'on costs' is £1,270,840 per annum out of a total county council spend of £1,849,000,000.
These figures reflect current pro rata costs but will take full effect in 2011-12 as this will be the first full year of operating with the new model. The equivalent total figure for a full year under the previous model, based on 2009-10 figures, was £1,649,114.
Therefore there will be a 23% saving on these posts in 2011-12 compared to 2009-10.
Highest paid PR and communications staff member
The Head of Communications is paid at Grade HS2 with a salary range of £63,408 - £69,793.
|
||||||||
| Attachments | None |
Money owed to Community Alliance (Burnley and Padiham) Ltd
| Reference | 787.688 |
|---|---|
| Date Responded | 05/11/2010 |
| Response Type |
Full disclosure
|
| Request |
I would like to request information that Lancashire County Council has regarding money owed to it by the Community Alliance (Burnley and Padiham) Ltd, with particular regard to the mortgage on Healey Wood School, Springhill Road, Burnley, BB11 2LP and Pension Strain debts, plus any other monies owed by the Community Alliance to Lancashire County Council, and what measures have been taken to recover these debts. |
| Response |
Further to your email dated 10 September 2010 we are now in a position to respond.
Information that Lancashire County Council has regarding money owed to it by the Community Alliance (Burnley and Padiham) Ltd; with particular regard to the following:
The money owed to Lancashire County Council in respect of the unpaid mortgage is £50,400, plus interest of £3875.06
The money owed to Lancashire County Council in respect of the unpaid pension strain contributions is £70,954.75
The Community Alliance also owe Lancashire County Council £15,000 in respect of a Climate Change Grant
Please provide details of what measures have been taken to recover the debts.
An Insolvency Practitioner has been appointed to manage the liabilities of Community Alliance and it is understood that a joint appointment of Liquidators is due to take place imminently. The County Council is liaising with the Insolvency Practitioner regarding the outstanding sums owing to it by Community Alliance. A list of the Alliance's creditors is currently being compiled by the Insolvency Practitioner and a meeting of creditors is due to take place once that list is finalised. |
| Attachments |
None
|