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Norfolk LINks setting up costs

Norfolk County Council have given the information I requested. This is the text of their letter:

Dear Mr.Cox

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

I refer to your request for information dated 28 June 2008.

In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I have now processed your request for a breakdown of the £10,000 given by central government for the preparation of the implementation of LiNks and the response is as follows:

£6,175 was spent on two large public consultation events in January and February 2008.

• Event 1 -

£2382.50 - venue and refreshments
£235.00 - PA system
£323.12 - hearing loop
£58.75 - screen
£29.38 - lecturn

• Event 2 -

£2500.00 - venue and refreshments
£235.00 - PA system
£323.12 - hearing loop
£58.75 - screen
£29.38 - lecturn

£5000 was spent on support provided from the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation in the procurement process, at the events, in drafting documents including the interim contract.

All the above totals £11,175 and the balance of £1,175 (after taking out the £10,000 contribution from central government) was funded by Norfolk County Council.

Should you have any queries regarding the information provided, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Karen Witham

Departmental Freedom of Information Officer

Let me put some flesh on this:

Both venues were at a large posh hotel and golf club on the outskirts of Norwich - 25 miles away for me; more than that for other disabled people. I know of large facilities in villages, towns and the city of Norwich holding the same number of people and costing a fraction of that. Disregard for the needs of disabled people? Disregard for the needs of local rural communities?

The Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation is the body challenged in my pplog entry of 20.02.08. That challenge was countered by the entries on pplog of 27.02.08 and 06.02.08. As a direct witness, I remain unconvinced by those counters. Was the involvement of this large and costly fringe-commercial consortium really necessary or appropriate?

No mention is made in the above details of David Hayman’s costs, the lead person for LINks for Norfolk County Council. Yet Mr Hayman entitles himself “Principal Consultant.” So is he a part of ESPO? If he is, is there vested interests at play here? There is no mention of his salary in the above details.

Comments

PatientGuard said…
I think I would looking for a breakdown of numbers who attended and who they were in terms of group identity etc . Normally an attendance sheet is signed and lists peoples interests ..

This is however a whole area where bullshit can be played out by a Council without much end achieved apart from doubts being raised over them ..
12 July 2008 at 19:46
Made by Mandy said…
Hi Mike

Would be interested to see the end result of this 'consultation'.

Cos usually consultations are a facade. Expensive ones at that.
14 July 2008 at 09:38
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