Biggleswade Town Council Accounts year ended 31st March 2011

Wanting to start early this year I sent an email, on the 19th June, to the Town Clerk, as a formal Freedom of Information Request.

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Council Accounts year ended 31st March 2011

Can you provide me a copy of the accounts by Friday 15th July 2011 (20 working days) at the latest.

Can you provide them in the same format as I eventually received them for last year. This should include:

"Budget Summary. - Budget Detail.

Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services."

If for whatever reason you decide you cannot provide them, as I am entitled to them in accordance with the Audit Commissions rules, I will need to know your reasons so I can refer to the Information Commissioners Office.

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Response from Town Council 23rd June 2011.

I can confirm that a copy of the “Unaudited Accounts” for the year ended 31^st March 2011, are now ready for your collection. I have provided you with a copy in the current format that we have them, as we are not required to provide them in any other format. The document is a total of 13 pages @ £0.10 a sheet, £1.30.

These were approved at the Council meeting on 21st June 2011 for the submission to the External Auditor.

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The external auditor told me that the audit period starts on 29th July and finishes on 30th September 2011. The Town Council usually open the accounts for inspection during August, so you have to be quick if you have any questions of the auditor.

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I collected and paid for "the accounts" on the morning of 24th June, but my hopes were dashed.

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My email to Town Council in the afternoon of 24th June.

The statement of accounts, that I have collected and paid for this morning are not what I requested. I am getting a bit fed up paying out monies for documents I did not ask for, as I did a number of times for last years accounts.

I am not sure what you mean by “as we are not required to provide them in any other format”. You produce the accounts by budget detail, which is what I want. I do not want to get into protracted correspondence or an argument about this.

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FOI Act 2000 paragraph 1.

(1) Any person making a request for information to a public authority is entitled-

(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds information of the description specified in the request, and

(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.

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I repeat my Freedom of Information request.

Can you provide me a copy of the accounts by Friday 15th July 2011 (20 working days) at the latest.

Can you provide them in the same format as I eventually received them for last year. This should include:

"Budget Summary. - Budget Detail.

Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services."

If for whatever reason you decide you cannot provide them (in this format), as I am entitled to them under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I will need to know your reasons so I can refer to the Information Commissioners Office. If I do not receive them by the above stated date I will automatically go to the ICO.

 

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Here we go again !!!!!!!!!