Copper Javid has subsequently attended various College Board meetings where he hobnobs with another Governor - the man who purports to be "Chief Executive" of Labour Sandwell Council, Jan Britton - even though the Council is subject to an ongoing Regional Fraud Team investigation in relation to alleged criminal offences. Both copper Javid and Britton have agreed at meetings to keep various aspects of the College's affairs secret including various matters connected with the Public deal. This is an affront to local democracy (in so far as it exists in the North Korean-style State of Sandwell).
I have put in various FoI requests to the College. The most successful to date confirmed that Sandwell Labour forced the College - seemingly as part of the bent Public deal - to rent property (at a very high price for West Brom) from, er, Labour Party Properties Limited!
But the College is now being obstructive with regard to Freedom of Information requests and in the last two days I have been forced to make THREE applications to the Office of the Information Commissioner so that the sleazy College is forced to comply with its LEGAL obligations.
Only the hardcore Sandwellistas will want to read the full texts (which are set out below) but suffice to say that:
1 the first deals with student numbers at Central Sixth which the College could provide in a matter of minutes;
2 the second deals with the almost non-existent arts "provision" at the building; and
3 the third deals with a couple of matters where the College has purported to respond but in a wholly unsatisfactory manner. Part of the request deals with keeping minutes secret again concerning The Public deal and the other part concerns the College's mysterious interest in Sunny Jim Cadman's private statue appeal.
(Full texts below).
Remember that DS Wayne Haynes and the Regional Fraud Team can be contacted in confidence with regard to alleged fraud offences in Sandwell - 0121 251 2175.
THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - A COMMUNITY BLOG - READ THE SKIDDER, KIDDER!
email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com twitter: @bcrover (Vernon Grant)
Confidential phone no: 07599 983737
APPEAL TO THE OFFICE OF THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
RE: SANDWELL COLLEGE (NO. 1)
BACKGROUND
I am a community blogger writing on matters connected to Sandwell in the West Midlands.
Sandwell College is known to the ICO following its refusal to supply information concerning a second £70m building it “acquired” in suspicious circumstances. At present I have a number of FOI requests outstanding with them. In this particular case, I have had no response from the College whatsoever, despite the request for an internal review.
1 My original request of 16th August, 2015
Freedom of Information Request - Central Sixth "A" Levels
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Aug 16
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Please state:
1. The actual number of students at Central Sixth who physically took "A" levels at Central Sixth in 2015;
2. The actual number of "A" Level exams sat.
Julian Saunders
There has been no response to this request. Accordingly, on 22nd September, 2015 I applied for an internal review.
2 Application for an Internal Review - 22nd September, 2015
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Aug 16
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Please state:
1. The actual number of students at Central Sixth who physically took "A" levels at Central Sixth in 2015;
2. The actual number of "A" Level exams sat.
Julian Saunders
Once again, there has been no response whatsoever. Accordingly, I request that the Information Commissioner intervene to ensure that the College complies with its statutory obligations.
Julian Saunders 27th, October, 2015
APPEAL TO THE OFFICE OF THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
RE: SANDWELL COLLEGE (NO. 2)
BACKGROUND
I am a community blogger writing on matters connected to Sandwell in the West Midlands.
Sandwell College is known to the ICO following its refusal to supply information concerning a second £70m building it “acquired” in suspicious circumstances. At present I have a number of FOI requests outstanding with them. In this particular case, I have had no response from the College whatsoever, despite the request for an internal review.
1 My Original FoI Request
Freedom of Information Request - Arts Provision at Central Sixth - 28/08/15
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Aug 28
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I am confused as to what the eventual concordat [sic] provision was as to the retention of an arts offering at Central Sixth noting that Mr Garry Morris of SMBC has been involved in what small pickings there have been to date (and he was the tender contact for pop-up banners at huge cost for the "arts cafe" [sic]).
1 Please forward the unredacted terms of the concordat in so far as it related to an ongoing arts provision;
2 Please state how much money Sandwell College has actually received to date from SMBC in respect of the alleged ongoing arts provision and precisely how Sandwell College has spent the monies received;
3 On 20th May, 2013 in the minutes of the Board of Governors there is a document prepared by SMBC as part of a report relating to The Public marked "Annex 2" setting out SMBC's requirements of the College in respect of an ongoing arts provision and the desired outputs from the project. Please disclose all reports from the College to SMBC relating to compliance with those terms (or any subsequently agreed terms if that document was superseded) and the measured results in respect of the desired outputs.
4 Please disclose any other documentation passing between Sandwell College and SMBC in respect of the alleged ongoing arts offering.
Julian Saunders
In the absence of any reply, I applied for an internal review.
2 Request for Internal Review - 20/09/15
Overdue - FoI Request - Arts Provision at Central Sixth
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Sep29
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Allowing for the August Bank Holiday the reply to this request is now overdue.
Please take this email as a formal request for an internal review.
Julian Saunders
No response has been received whatsoever. Accordingly, I request that the Information
Commissioner intervenes to ensure that the College complies with its statutory obligations.
Julian Saunders - 28th October, 2015
APPEAL TO THE OFFICE OF THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
RE: SANDWELL COLLEGE (NO. 3)
BACKGROUND
I am a community blogger writing on matters connected to Sandwell in the West Midlands.
In this particular case Sandwell College did attempt to reply to my original request but in a wholly unsatisfactory manner. I requested an internal review but they have failed to respond within the time limit.
There are a couple of small typos herein but which do not affect the gist of the content.
1 My original request - 28/08/15
Freedom of Information Request - Minutes 14/07/14
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Aug 28
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I refer specifically to the minute of the Board of Governors B14.63 from their meeting on 14th July, 2014:
1 Of "the Local Authority Representative's Highlights Report" - please state the identity of "the Local Authority representative" who prepared the report;
2 Of "members were reminded of the way in which underspend would be split between the main contractor and the Local Authority, with the latter's share being transferred to the College" - please state the amount of the underspend that was, in fact, transferred from SMBC to Sandwell College;
3 Of "in response to a further query, members were informed of the current position with regard to the 'Three Degrees Statue' - state who made the enquiry and, more particularly, who present was apparently able to inform the Board of "the current position" and, indeed, what the "current position" was as at that point of time?
Julian Saunders
2 Response to Original Request from Sandwell College - 28/09/15
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Sep 28
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Dear Mr. Saunders,
I refer to your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act dated 28th August 2015 and respond as follows:
1 Please refer this request to the local authority as they produced the report.
2 The local authority recovers all monies spent in the re-development of Central Sixth through a rent charge.
3. We do not hold this information.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your request for information you have the right to appeal. If you wish to appeal, please forward your appeal to me, in the first instance, and I will arrange for it to be dealt with. A senior manager will consider your complaint and you will receive a reply within 20 working days. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of any appeal that you lodge, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office.
Jill Berry
Corporation Secretary
Sandwell College
Central Campus
1 Spon Lane
West Bromwich
West Midlands
B70 6AW
Tel: 0121 667 5135
Email: jill.berry@sandwell.ac.uk
3 Request for an internal review - 28/09/15
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Sep 28
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I have to say that I am beginning to wonder whether The College are now trying to take the mickey in respect of my FoI requests and will certainly be referring this to the Office of the Information Commissioner if you intend to continue with a course you appear to be taking.
Please take this email as a formal request for an internal review of my whole request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
Without prejudice to the generality of the request for a total review my a sensible person:
1. My understanding is that a Local Authority representative was appointed under the so-called "concordat" a "deal" between two publicly-funded bodies. His or her report was specifically referred to in YOUR meeting. Why the identity of the person should be something you wish to keep secret is beyond me. In addition to my original request please also now disclose the "highlights report";
2. It has been widely trumpeted in the local media that the construction work came in under budget and your OWN minutes specifically state that the local authority were due to pass half of any underspend back to you. This is nothing to do with the rent charge (although I am happy that you are at last appearing to acknowledge that the College is paying a rent charge and not actual rent). I know the College has had some financial problems but you must know if you received monies from SMBC or not and the amount? Please disclose this.If the media were deliberately misled and there was no underspend, please say so.
3. Your response here is absolutely appalling. This discussion took place at one of YOUR own Board meetings so how can you possibly NOT have the information? There were not many at the meeting and so it will be very easy for you to supply this information if there was a failure to keep a proper record.
Julian Saunders
The College has failed to respond to the request for an internal review within 20 working days and so I request that the Information Commissioner intervenes and ensures that the taxpayer-funded College complies with its statutory obligations.
Julian Saunders - 28th October, 2015
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