Request
Please would you
let me know in writing and within 20 working days if
you can provide me with information of the following
descriptions, preferably in an electronic or hard copy
format:
1) Details
relating to the annual salaries of the chief executive, chairman
and all board members of
your S
trategic
Health Authority for the latest financial
year for which figures are available (i.e. 2008-09, or
2007-08). If approrpriate please provide a breakdown of this
into basic salary and details of any bonuses which were
paid last year.
2) Please could
you also provide me with any receipts and claim forms for
expenses claimed by these individuals during the same financial
year?
3) I would also
like to see copies of the hospitality register for your
organisation, if such a thing exists, or any other details of any
hospitality received last year by individuals named in questions 2
and 3 above.
**********************************************************
Our Response
Further to your
request for information, I can confirm that all the information you
have asked for is held by NHS East Midlands and the information
relevant to Q1 and Q3 is attached above.
In respect of Q2,
we have established that it would take more than 18 hours to locate
all the information you have asked for in relation to claim forms
and receipts and we therefore consider that the exemption offered
to us in S.12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to
disproportionate cost is engaged. We are of the opinion that
the costs which we are allowed under the Act to calculate in
relation to this part of your request in this case will amount to
at least £600-800, plus additional charges for secure
transfer. As you will be aware this is not an exemption which
requires us to consider the application of the public interest
test. Unlike some Strategic Health Authorities, NHS East
Midlands expenses claims are processed by a third party and
documentation relating to those claims is retained by that third
party. It will therefore require some further time to recover
this documentation.
However, in the
spirit of S.16 of the Act which places a duty on us to offer advice
and assistance to the applicant, we are able to provide extracts
from our records which relate to the information that you have
requested. This is also attached.
We are committed
to openness and transparency in expenses claims and we have put in
place a process to recover the relevant documentation which we
intend to let you have by the end of July. At that point we
will also publish this information on our website.
I do hope that
this information is of use to you. If you are dissatisfied
with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask
us to review our decision in this case by writing to:-
Mr Kevin
Orford
Deputy Chief
Executive and Director of Finance
NHS East
Midlands
Octavia
House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's
Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10
5QG
If at the
conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain
to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted
at:-
The Office of the
Information Commissioner
Wycliffe
House
Water
Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9
5AF
