Disclosure Log

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Question

Re: Concerns the Council’s record-creation practices, rather than whether specific support has been provided in any individual case. Please provide the following recorded information: 1. Any policies, guidance, procedures, protocols, or written instructions (formal or informal) that describe what records are created when the Council: o provides legal advice to councillors, o provides officer time or officer support to councillors, o considers or provides financial, insurance, or indemnity support to councillors, o considers whether such support should be provided. 2. Any documents that specify: o which service areas are responsible for creating or retaining such records (e.g. Legal Services, Insurance, Finance, Monitoring Officer), o what types of records would normally be created (for example: correspondence, decision records, authorisations, insurance notifications, legal instructions, or logs). 3. If no such policies, guidance, or instructions are held, please confirm this explicitly and state whether the absence of such records reflects: o a deliberate decision not to document these matters, or o that such matters are not within the Council’s functions.

Answer

1. Any policies, guidance, procedures, protocols, or written instructions (formal or informal) that describe what records are created when the Council: o provides legal advice to councillors, o provides officer time or officer support to councillors, o considers or provides financial, insurance, or indemnity support to councillors, o considers whether such support should be provided. The Council does not hold any standalone policies, guidance, procedures, protocols, or written instructions concerning the creation of records when providing legal, financial, insurance, or general officer support to councillors, other than what is set out within the Council’s Constitution and formal committee or decision making processes. 2. Any documents that specify: o which service areas are responsible for creating or retaining such records (e.g. Legal Services, Insurance, Finance, Monitoring Officer), o what types of records would normally be created (for example: correspondence, decision records, authorisations, insurance notifications, legal instructions, or logs). Where written advice or support is provided to a councillor, a record of that correspondence or document will normally be retained on the relevant service area file and kept in line with prescribed retention periods. No specific internal policy exists that prescribes the types of records that must be created in such circumstances, nor one that allocates responsibility beyond normal departmental functions (e.g., Legal Services retaining legal advice, Finance retaining financial records, Insurance retaining insurance related documentation). 3. If no such policies, guidance, or instructions are held, please confirm this explicitly and state whether the absence of such records reflects: o a deliberate decision not to document these matters, or o that such matters are not within the Council’s functions. The absence of dedicated policies or procedures in this area does not reflect a deliberate decision not to document these matters. The matters described in your request are not governed by any standalone or specific policy documents beyond the above.