Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Guildford

This is a disclosure log of Guildford Council's responses to freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) requests that might be of wider public interest.

If you can't find the information you're looking for, you can make a new FOI request.

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433 disclosures

  1. Communications

    1. How many people does the council currently employ in communications, press office and/or public relations positions?

    2. What was the total annual spend by the council on public relations, press office and communications for the calendar year of 2018?

    3. Does the council use any external organisations to handle communications or public relations? If so, which companies are used and how much did the council spend on these services in 2018

    Published: 28 May 2019

  2. Cremations

    Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to ask for statistics on the following:

    1. How many cremations did your crematorium(s) perform in 2018?

    2. How many of these cremations opted not to hold a service at your crematoria in 2018?

    3. How many were direct cremations in 2018?

    4. How many were commitals in 2018?

    5. What is your current price for a standard funeral with a service held at Midday on a weekday?

    6. What is your current price for a direct cremation with no service?

    7. Do you have any refrigerated storage? If so, for how many deceased?

    Published: 28 May 2019

  3. Clear up cost of each unauthorised traveller encampment on Bellfields Green in 2018

    For each unauthorised traveller encampment on Bellfields Green in 2018, how much did the council spend on clearing up the site?

    Published: 28 May 2019

  4. Housing Benefit for residents with Mental Health/Learning Disability

    Please provide the following information related to housing benefit amounts paid to people in receipt of care in supported living settings. By supporting living, we mean those who live in a property with their own tenancy, but receiving care and support commissioned by the local authority:

    1) The lowest weekly housing benefit amount you paid to an individual as part of a supported living arrangement for the financial year 2018/19 for: a) Learning Disability b) Mental Health

    2) The mean weekly housing benefit amount you paid to an individual as part of a supported living arrangement for the financial year 2018/19 for: a) Learning Disability b) Mental Health

    3) The highest weekly housing benefit amount you paid to an individual as part of a supported living arrangement for the financial year 2018/19 for: a) Learning Disability b) Mental Health

    4) Please explain how housing benefit amounts are calculated for those in receipt of care in supported living settings.

    Published: 28 May 2019

  5. Taxi Applications

    1) When someone applies for private hire or hackney carriage driver licence, do you ask if they have been licensed by another council?

    2) If yes to question one, do you contact the other council for information and what information do you ask?

    3) Do you do a yearly DVLA driving licence check for all of your licensed private hire and hackney carriage drivers, whether their licence is due for renewal or not? This is an annual inspection including mid-term licences, not a three yearly inspection or inspections on renewal.

    4) If yes to question three, is the check done by the council or does a third-party do the check?

    5) Do you do a mechanical testing of vehicles wishing to be licensed as private hire or hackney carriage vehicles at a council owned testing garage?

    6) If yes to question five, what is DVSA (VOSA) rating of your garage?

    7) If no to question five, who conducts a mechanical testing of the vehicles?

    Published: 28 May 2019

  6. Enforcement (debt collection) service providers

    All of the below questions relate to any contracts you have with enforcement (debt collection) service providers for the recovery of unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates and Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

    1. Please specify whether you have an existing contract(s) for Enforcement Agent (Bailiff) Services for Council Tax, Business Rates and PCN debt collection and which of the three types of debt collection mentioned above it covers? Type of contract Yes/No Response Single contract for Enforcement Agent (Bailiff) Services for Council Tax, Business Rates and PCNs Separate contracts for Council Tax, Business Rates and PCNs A combined contract covering debt collection for two of the debts mentioned and another for the third (please state the combination) No contract for collection of one or more types of the debts mentioned above (please specify which)

    2. Please provide the dates that all of your existing contracts for Enforcement Agent (Bailiff) Services for Council Tax, Business Rates and PCN debt collection will expire

    3. Please state the name of all Enforcement Agencies appointed by the above contracts

    4. How many debt collection instructions were issued in a) 2016, b) 2017 c) 2018 to the Enforcement Agencies mentioned since the contract with them was put in place?

    5. If you don't have a current contract with an Enforcement Agency in place, please could you specify:

    a) The process by which your council collects unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates and PCNs. Please make clear the bodies or companies responsible for the delivery of this service

    b) The number of debt collection instructions issued to the bodies or companies delivering these services on an annual basis over the last five years

    6. Do you engage Enforcement Services under a Service Level Agreement and if so, what date is the contract due to be reviewed? Use of Service Level Agreement (Yes/No) Review date of the Service Level Agreement

    Published: 24 May 2019

  7. Council tax on empty homes and second homes in 2009-2018

    Request for the council tax discount/premium on second homes, on homes empty for longer than 6 months and homes empty for longer than 2 years as a percentage of the standard council tax in your council from 2009 to 2018.

    Published: 24 May 2019

  8. Use of bailiffs in 2018/19

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we would like to request the following information.

    1) The number of times between 1st April 2018 and 31st March 2019, or the nearest available twelve month period, that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce debts to the local authority relating to each of the following;

    a. Council tax

    b. Parking

    c. Housing Benefit overpayments

    d. Business Rates

    e. Commercial Rents

    f. Any other debt types, including any other overpayments

    By "private bailiffs/enforcement agents" we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. Please include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to enforce a warrant of control.

    2) Do you signpost residents to one or more free debt advice agencies as part of your collections process? (Yes/No) If so, which charities?

    3) Have you adopted the Standard Financial Statement (or Common Financial Statement) as a tool for objectively assessing income and expenditure as part of your collections process? (Yes/No)

    4) Do you have a formal policy in place for dealing with residents in vulnerable circumstances as part of your collections process? (Yes/No)

    5) Do you currently have a policy of exempting recipients of Council Tax Support from the use of bailiff action? (Yes/No)

    6) Have you adopted the Citizens Advice/Local Government Association Council Tax Protocol? (Yes/No)

    Published: 23 May 2019

  9. Homes purchased under Right to Buy

    I request the following information

    1. The number of council homes purchased under the Right to Buy by tenants in

    i. 2012/13

    ii. 2013/14

    iii. 2014/15

    iv. 2015/16

    v. 2016/17

    vi. 2017/18

    vii. 2018/19

    2. The combined value of the properties referred to in the answer to question 1., in

    i. 2012/13

    ii. 2013/14

    iii. 2014/15

    iv. 2015/16

    v. 2016/17

    vi. 2017/18

    vii. 2018/19

    3. The number of homes previously sold under the Right to Buy that were reacquired by the council following a fraud investigation, in i. 2012/13 ii. 2013/14 iii. 2014/15 iv. 2015/16 v. 2016/17 vi. 2017/18 vii. 2018/19

    4. If the council has a private landlord licensing scheme, the number of homes which have been sold under the Right to Buy and subsequently listed as a privately let property since the scheme started, within the following timescales: i. one week ii. one month iii. one year If possible

    Published: 21 May 2019

  10. Affordable Housing

    A request for information from your planners.

    1) The percentage of affordable housing required for housing developments of 10 dwellings or more or that are greater than 0.5 hectares in area. If more than one level is set in planning policies - for example varying by location in the district or size of development - the maximum, minimum and district average percentages.

    2) The average percentage of affordable housing agreed on approval of planning applications for housing developments of 10 dwellings or more or that are greater than 0.5 hectares in the council's area for each of 2016, 2017 and 2018.

    Published: 21 May 2019