Mr Andrew Mackay and Ms Julie Kirkbride - Standards and Privileges Committee Contents


49.  Letter to the Director of Strategic Projects, Department of Resources, from the Office of the Commissioner, 20 August 2010

The Commissioner wrote to you on 12 August to ask for your advice on his inquiry into this complaint. With that letter he enclosed an extract from the e-mail of 8 August from the former Head of the Fees Office. Mr Mackay has since commented on that e-mail. He has said in his e-mail of 13 August:

"...it is surprising that under [the former Head of the Fees Office's] watch during the full first year of our claims he raised no queries. I can only assume that is because he had put a note on file, as he indicated in his May 2009 telephone conversation with me, which his staff worked from. It is worth recalling that year and subsequently our second homes were on each claim form and separately we would have signed a form designating our main and second homes. This of course is the transparency referred to by the Director of Strategic Projects."

The Commissioner has asked me to say that he would welcome your comments on this. Specifically, he would be grateful for your comments on when it became a requirement for Members to indicate their second homes on each relevant claim form and to sign a form designating their main and second homes. It would be most helpful if you were able to incorporate your advice on this in your response to the Commissioner's letter of 12 August.

Thank you again for your help.

20 August 2010


 
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