“Yes we are planning to do this and the information [on 08/09 allowances and expenses] should go live by Friday.
The information will be on the Councillors page (link below).
http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/about-the-council/councillors

We have also included the information in the statement of accounts.
We are also due to put a notice in the public notice section of the Cambridge Evening News on 23rd June.”

You are quite right to question if this reporting is fully inclusive. There is an entitlement (or there always used to be) to a Lion Yard car park pass for use when on Council business only, be interesting to know if the Council keeps records of when they are used…

Chris

I included a specific request for details of any free car parking given to councillors.

Particularly in the current climate, I think the information people really need is what each Councillor actually received - as soon as that information is available.

Despite a rather bizarre thread on cam.transport with Cllrs Ward and Rosenstiel suggesting that this is all easily available by reading newspaper archives, it should just be available as a matter of course on the City Council website, and I certainly couldn’t find it.

I have the figures for YE April 09 - only one Councillor (not Cllr Blair) claimed childcare allowance, and only 11 Councillors in the year claimed any travel expenses, the highest being £267.

I have written to the leader of the Council and new Chief Executive asking that the full table is published on the web as soon as possible, and await their response,

Chris

This is an improvement on last year, posting it in a clearly accessible manner is excellent. (Though it has already been in the committee papers and was approved by full council)

I’ve not had a chance to exhaustively search the council’s website yet but I don’t think how much councillors actually took in 2008-9 has yet been published. So another FOI request might well be in-order to reveal that, like the one I made last year:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/3497/response/7383/attach/2/2008-05-30%20%20Members%20Allowances%20Statement%20for.pdf

Having my attention drawn to this thread also reminds me I did follow up the Ranger Steering group and was told it operated in an informal manner and so its meeting dates and papers were not suitable for publication.

The 2009-10 allowances are available at: http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/public/docs/Councillors%27%20allowances%202009-2010.pdf

Thanks for keeping everyone on their toes Richard

We will arrange to get this information, and the 2008/09 Scheme on the relevant part of the website.
The FOI officer is looking into why you did not get the information having asked the Customer Service Centre.

The allowances paid in 2007-8 are available at:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/members_allowances_2007_2008

I asked if she could do something to ensure the statement of members allowances is published and she said no, that wasn’t her responsibility. I reminded Cllr Blair that she was a member of the City Council.