UPDATE   December 2012

This request appeared on the ICO’s highlights for the year 2012, in the NORTH WEST section:

http://www.ico.gov.uk/news/latest_news/2012/ico-highlights-information-revealed-by-foi-in-your-area-20122012.aspx

18th February 2012

This week, I received an important and favourable Decision Notice from the Information Commissioner – here

13 months ago, in early January 2011, I placed the following request via the excellent WhatDoTheyKnow website:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/stephen_maddox_former_chief_exec

This asked for information related to the circumstances in which the former CEO had apparently applied for early voluntary redundancy.  The matter had been presented for discussion at the following special committee meeting on 17th August 2010:

http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=197&MId=3209&Ver=4

Here is the agenda:

http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/documents/g3209/Public%20reports%20pack,%2017th-Aug-2010%2017.30,%20Employment%20and%20Appointments%20Committee.pdf?T=10

Item 3 was restricted, and if there were any members of the public present, they would have been cleared out of the room.

BUT… The Information Commissioner has now ruled, after 13 months, that the report held here needs to be released by the Council. They were wrong to withhold the information and to place these restrictions on it.

This is the ICO Decision Notice, #FS50406724:

http://www.easyvirtualassistance.co.uk/18 02 12 – ICO Decision notice – Maddox retirement.PDF

The ICO has given the council 35 days from 15th February 2012 to supply me with the report.  Failure to do so may be reported to the High Court and treated as contempt.

Both myself and the council have the option of appealing any aspect of this decision notice to the First Tier Tribunal.

Watch this space for updates.  The report will appear here when I have it.

The report is now in.  Click here:

http://www.easyvirtualassistance.co.uk/Maddox withheld EVR request.pdf