Comments on: A good day to bury bad expenses http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/a-good-day-to-bury-bad-expense-news/ Heather Brooke is an award-winning writer, journalist and activist Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:17:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Keith Edmunds http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/a-good-day-to-bury-bad-expense-news/comment-page-1/#comment-1828 Keith Edmunds Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:49:08 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=684#comment-1828 Well done Heather, keep up the good work. You are doing more to better the system in this country, than the entire bunch in Westminster. They will never reform themselves. After much experience, I can assure you that the public sector will never reform itself; change will only come when it is so frightened of losing its jobs, perks, and self-interest, that, to retain some of it, it will then make sure that some change will happen. Well done Heather, keep up the good work. You are doing more to better the system in this country, than the entire bunch in Westminster. They will never reform themselves. After much experience, I can assure you that the public sector will never reform itself; change will only come when it is so frightened of losing its jobs, perks, and self-interest, that, to retain some of it, it will then make sure that some change will happen.

]]> By: A Disgusted Taxpayer http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/a-good-day-to-bury-bad-expense-news/comment-page-1/#comment-1827 A Disgusted Taxpayer Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:26:18 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=684#comment-1827 Their use of Section 22 (1) of the FOI Act is yet another cynical manipulation of the legislation and MPs ability to manipulate the rules. The article in the Sunday Times today about the Speaker provides evidence that he is as guilty as the rest of misuing public funds. It time this mess and ongoing fraudulent use of taxpayers money was sorted out. If these claims were being submitted by civil servants we would have MPS baying for blood, police enquiries and prosecutions. Perhaps it is time that a private prosecution for Fraud was brought agains one or two of these MPs - that would trigger a rush to clean out the stables! Their use of Section 22 (1) of the FOI Act is yet another cynical manipulation of the legislation and MPs ability to manipulate the rules. The article in the Sunday Times today about the Speaker provides evidence that he is as guilty as the rest of misuing public funds. It time this mess and ongoing fraudulent use of taxpayers money was sorted out. If these claims were being submitted by civil servants we would have MPS baying for blood, police enquiries and prosecutions. Perhaps it is time that a private prosecution for Fraud was brought agains one or two of these MPs – that would trigger a rush to clean out the stables!

]]> By: Rich http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/a-good-day-to-bury-bad-expense-news/comment-page-1/#comment-1826 Rich Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:27:10 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=684#comment-1826 More interesting as a spreadsheet: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pJqQPIhFzxnWA7pyEJcIXJg 323 million pounds! That's a lot of expense. More interesting as a spreadsheet:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pJqQPIhFzxnWA7pyEJcIXJg

323 million pounds! That’s a lot of expense.

]]> By: John L Bell http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/a-good-day-to-bury-bad-expense-news/comment-page-1/#comment-1825 John L Bell Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:21:25 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=684#comment-1825 I sent in a FOI for full details of all expenses and supporting paperwork, relating to accommodation for a select band of MPs by email in February. The time limit given in the FOI Act came.... and went.... so I emailed a reminder on 29th March! This was the reply; Detailed information about the claims made by all MPs is held only for the period 2004/05 to date (our records are kept for the current financial year and the three previous such years). I can confirm that this information is held by the House of Commons with the intention that it should be made available to the public generally. While a date for publication has not yet been set, there is a clear intention to publish this information at a future date so this information is exempt from the obligation to provide you with a copy by virtue of the exemption set out in section 22 (1) of the FOI Act (information held with the intention of future publication) and your request is refused. While there is a public interest in providing access to information relating to MPs such as that covered by your request, this interest is outweighed by the public interest in providing access as soon as possible to information about all MPs. Therefore, the balance of the public interest rests with maintaining the exemption while this information is being prepared for publication. Now let me check this...... I cannot get the information because everybody is going to get it (and all the other information) at some future date! They don't know when ..... I don't know when!.... but we are going to get it!...... but when? The old question about how long is a piece of string seems dead simple compared with this problem. Doesn't it? I sent in a FOI for full details of all expenses and supporting paperwork, relating to
accommodation for a select band of MPs by email in February.
The time limit given in the FOI Act came…. and went…. so I emailed a reminder on 29th
March!

This was the reply;

Detailed information about the claims made by all MPs is held only for the period 2004/05 to date (our records are kept for the current financial year and the three previous such years). I can confirm that this
information is held by the House of Commons with the intention that it should be made
available to the public generally. While a date for publication has not yet been set,
there is a clear intention to publish this information at a future date so this information
is exempt from the obligation to provide you with a copy by virtue of the exemption set out
in section 22 (1) of the FOI Act (information held with the intention of future publication) and your request is refused. While there is a public interest in providing access to information relating to MPs such as
that covered by your request, this interest is outweighed by the public interest in
providing access as soon as possible to information about all MPs. Therefore, the balance of the public interest rests with maintaining the exemption while this information is being prepared for publication.

Now let me check this…… I cannot get the information because everybody is going to get
it (and all the other information) at some future date! They don’t know when ….. I don’t
know when!…. but we are going to get it!…… but when?

The old question about how long is a piece of string seems dead simple compared with this
problem. Doesn’t it?

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