Marple Website Community Calendar
Archive => Archived Boards => Local Issues => Topic started by: alan@marple on October 02, 2010, 09:42:23 AM
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Freedom of information.
The information to be found whilst surfing is very interesting!
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/board_of_directors_sk_solutions?unfold=1
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http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/user/sheila_oliver
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I wonder how much Sheila Bailey's questions have cost to answer? She seems to raise them at an average of 1 every few days!
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I thought her name was Oliver? Anyway, presumably she could have asked Cllrs Candler and Lees, and Messrs Lucas and Webb, whether they received any payment as Directors of SK Solutions, but didn't bother, preferring to find out at taxpayers' expense instead?
Now it appears that she has made mo fewer than 168 FOI requests to Stockport Council. One of them, entertainingly, is entitled 'Waste of Public Money'. As they say, 'you couldn't make it up' ::)
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Sheila Oliver is my hero!
http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/sheila-oliver-story
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We STILL need a bypass Hazel Grove to Bredbury .
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Sheila Oliver is my hero!
With all those FOI requests, she doesn't come cheap, though! ;)
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Actually shes been Very active in the community for many many years irritating the hell out of councillors across the borough asking questions they didnt like to be asked so I d say yes she probably has done the *normal* route of asking the councillor and i expect theyve refused or ignored.. as they often do! She s often seen making very good points in the local papers too.. for at least the last 10 years so lets not be too hasty in suggesting her method of getting info is *wasteful*
If agencies and individuals were more open and honest there would be no need for the FOI!
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she probably has done the *normal* route of asking the councillor and i expect theyve refused or ignored.. as they often do!
That's pretty unlikely in this case. Think about it: if they had been asked whether they were being paid for being Directors of Solutions SK, and had refused to reply, everyone would have assumed that they had something to hide - i.e. that they were being paid. But as they actually have nothing to hide (they aren't paid a penny), then we can be fairly sure that if Ms Oliver had popped the question, she would have received an answer.
On the wider issue of FOI in general, it's interesting that even Tony Blair, in his recently published memoirs, confesses that the FOI Act was a mistake. It may have been well-intentioned, but it triggered an avalanche of largely frivolous and time-wasting enquiries. The main effect was to cause public bodies to waste large amounts of time and money. I know - I used to run one. >:(
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Another interesting site, check out Stockport
http://www.mysociety.org/projects/fixmystreet/
http://www.fixmystreet.com/