Independent councillors have called for an investigation into “unacceptable delays” in responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
Between March and May, 69 FOIs submitted to Caerphilly County Borough Council were not answered within the required timeframe of 20 working days.
A total of 168 FOI requests were made to the council in that time, an FOI submitted by Independent councillor Kevin Etheridge shows.
Seven of those have been put on hold for clarifications, with the remainder answered in time.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has said it cannot extend statutory timescales, but said it “will not be penalising public authorities for prioritising other areas or adapting their usual approach” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cllr Etheridge said he has not received a response to an FOI about the cost of legal fees for a court case over the closure of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre which he submitted four months ago.
The Blackwood councillor, who stepped down as leader of the Independent group in April after the council refused to give him information, said: “This is yet another example and I am saddened I have had to raise this.
“It gets worse, having had to submit another FOI request to find out how many requests from the public had not been answered in 20 days, and to my total astonishment there are 69 requests.
“This is simply unacceptable.”
Leader of the Independent group, Cllr Graham Simmonds, said he has written to the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart, about the issue.
“I have requested an investigation via the Secretary of State and First Minister on all matters of engagement,” he said.
He claimed the council “don’t provide information and answers to questions”.
A council spokesman said: “At present many council staff, including some from the team who deal with FOI requests, are assigned to critical services as part of the council’s coronavirus response.
“This has led to responses to requests for information being delayed.
“The Information Commissioner’s Office has acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic is impacting upon resources and they will not be penalising local authorities for prioritising other areas or adapting their usual approach during this extraordinary period.”
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When there is a reluctance to oblige a request , any request , a hidden reason for dragging the feet springs to mind .This freedom of information reluctance to oblige Mr Etheridge leaves a nagging of “WHY?”
Kevin Etheridge as a highly involved councillor has every right to be furious,so what chance would Ianto Davies a local man in the street have if he made the same request . Doesn’t bode well for any Caerphilly Borough constituent feeling that every thing is running well and if he or she needed help it would honestly and promptly be forthcoming.
I think you will find that the performance of the WAG and Welsh Office is just as bad so don’t expect much support from them.
I think you will find that the FOI ‘performance’ at ‘the WAG’ has been consistently above the ICO’s threshold for the past two years. But don’t let the facts spoil your myopia.
Whilst Freedom of Information is a critical brick in the wall of the democratic process, particularly at a local civic level, it is not, and should not, be a priority of the Council if it means taking staff from other pandemic civic duties to which they have been assigned just to respond to requests in a `strict timeline`, and I understand the council have less strict time lines under which to respond if they notify the requester of `difficulties` in doing so within the shorter period? some requests, I understand, require FOI dedicated staff contacting every department of the Council BEFORE being able to respond in a meaningful and accurate way to some requests, which they are obliged to do, in law, in respect to EVERY request. It seems to be the problem in the case of this complaint that the Council are not responding within the strict timelines, and NOT that they are not responding at all, or, they are not providing accurate a full disclosure, which would really be a basis for complaint, in this event it seems to me a case of `be patient` and go with flow of everything slowing down during this public health crisis and the additional `critical work` officers of the Council are currently engaged with, in the interest of ALL borough citizens.