Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Herefordshire Council

This is a disclosure log of Herefordshire 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.

1,821 disclosures

1. Details of Commissioned Adult Supported Living Services

   I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of Information Act, details in respect to supported living services for adults with disabilities, including learning disabilities and mental health needs, you commission within your Council area. The details we require are:

   • Do you operate a framework, Dynamic Purchasing System or similar for commissioning supported living services?

   • When did this Framework commence, and when is it due to finish?

   • The Suppliers/organisations who are currently on your framework/contract.

   • Which operators do you commission supported living services from, either on or off any framework arrangements?

   • How many beds are commissioned with each operator?

   • For each operator, how many separate locations are supported living services commissioned from?

   • What is the average weekly fee for each operator?

   • What is the average % fee increase awarded to supported living providers in the year 2023/24?

   Published: 18 March 2024

2. Amount spent by Herefordshire Council servicing its debts from 2021-2024 (financial years)

   Under the FOI Act, I would like to request the amount of money the council has spent servicing its debt in each of the last 3 financial years (2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24).

   This would include both debt repayments and payment of interest.

   Published: 18 March 2024

3. SEND placement costs, associated travel and PA costs for academic year 2022/2023

   Please can you provide me with the name of the current educational placement (school) of any young people, 16 years of age and under, with educational health care (EHCP) plans or statements, placed in academy/maintained, independent or non-maintained provision?

   Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like you to supply me with the information requested for the previous academic year - 2022/2023.

   I would ask you to provide the information in an excel document, broken down under the following headings:

   1. Category of Need (SEMH, ASD, etc.)

   2. Name of School with postcode

   3. Type of placement - (Day or residential placement)

   4. Cost of placement per year

   5. Cost of Travel including PA support, broken down by placement if possible and if not, as a total figure for transporting EHCP Children

   Published: 15 March 2024

4. Review of ‘Little Used Roads’

   Can you please supply the summary 'overview' and the accompanying detailed Reports for the dozen or so minor roads prepared prior to Local Government Reorganisation and the separation of H&WCC and formation of HC, titled REVIEW OF LITTLE USED UNCLASSIFIED RURAL RIADS".

   Please supply details of actions, if any, taken such as Stopping-Up or Downgrading resulting from the exercise. (It is understood these may have been Bage/Browns, Byford, Dead Woman's, Holywell, Quebb, Knightwick etc.)

   For an abundance of caution I would like this to confirm this should include all the Appendices that accompanied the reports.

   Published: 15 March 2024

5. Council Tax arrears data

   Please could you provide the following information:

   1) What is the total current value of council tax arrears owed to the council (correct as of 28th February 2024)?

   2) What was the total value of council tax arrears owed to the council one year ago (28th February 2023)?

   3) What was the total value of council tax arrears owed to the council five years ago (28th February 2019)?

   4) How many households in your area are currently in council tax arrears (correct as of 28th February 2024)?

   5) Against how many people have you brought court proceedings in order to recover council tax arrears in the past year (28th February 2023 - 28th February 2024)?

   6) How many referrals have you made to bailiffs as a result of council tax arrears in the past year (28th February 2023 - 28th February 2024)?

   Published: 15 March 2024

6. Library books removed from libraries due to nature of book

   Please may you provide me with the following regarding public libraries owned and managed by the Council:

   1. Have any books been removed from any public library in your council due to the nature of the book?

   2. If so, please provide the number of books removed, the reason for their removal and the titles of the books.

   3. Please provide any correspondence internally and with anyone outside the council (including libraries, councillors, the public etc.) making reference to or discussing the potential/actual removal of books from public libraries.

   Published: 15 March 2024

7. Microsoft Licensing Statement

   You have confirmed that the council do not have a copy of an MLS (Microsoft Licensing Statement). Could the council identify who the council's software reseller is, and, request that they supply them with an MLS.

   I have asked many other councils to do this and most of them have done this without an issue. Your reseller will hold this on your behalf and are obliged to provide it if it is requested.

   Published: 15 March 2024

8. Unconscious bias training

   Please advise: 1. The total spending by your organisation on unconscious bias training for your staff in the financial year 2022/23. 2. The number of your staff that undertook unconscious bias training in the financial year 2022/23.

   Published: 15 March 2024

9. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) installation/uninstallation costs, Jan 2023 - Mar 2024

   I would like to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

   Does your council operate Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)?

   If yes, please disclose; for the months of January through to December 2023 and - if available - for the first 3 months of 2024;

   1. The total amount of money the council has spent installing 'Low Traffic Neighbourhoods' (if any). Please break this down by

   a) location of each LTN,

   b) date each LTN was installed, and

   c) cost of installation.

   2. The total amount of money the council has spent uninstalling 'Low Traffic Neighbourhoods' (if any). Please break this down by

   a) location of each LTN,

   b) date each LTN was uninstalled, and

   c) cost of uninstallation.

   Published: 15 March 2024

10. Number of shisha cafes in Hereford and any prosecutions for violations

    We would like to ask the following questions about your local authority area, where we define a "shisha cafe" as any premise where the sale and consumption of shisha tobacco occurs on site, and can include restaurants, clubs, lounges, cafes, and other venues.

    Q1. Please provide the estimated number or range of shisha cafes known as of January 2024.

    Please reply "unknown" if this information is not held.

    Q2.

    a) Please state the number of prosecutions made for violations of the smoke-free law in 2023.

    b) How many of these violations were by shisha cafes?

    Q3.

    a) Please state how many inspections were made to shisha cafes by Trading Standards, Environmental Health, or other officers in 2023.

    b) Of these inspections, how many shisha cafes required intervention due to lack of compliance with policies (including tobacco, health and safety, and licensing laws).

    c) Of these inspections, approximately how many kilograms of illicit shisha tobacco were seized in total?

    d) Of these inspections, how many led to successful prosecutions and what was the total amount ordered to pay from the shisha cafe business?

    Q4. Please state the number of reports of underage smoking at shisha cafes in 2023.

    Q5. Please state the number of complaints made for noise and nuisance against shisha cafes in 2023.

    Published: 15 March 2024