Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case (part 2)

Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case (part 2)                                       This continues from Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case. The Claimant’s representative referred to pages 275-276 which had examples of different requirements at different work locations. For example the Claimant had been due to work at […]

Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case (part 2)

                                     

Liverpool Civil & Family Court, Vernon Street, Liverpool, L2 2BX (the venue for First-Tier Tribunal case EA/2016/0033)
Liverpool Civil & Family Court, Vernon Street, Liverpool, L2 2BX (the venue for Employment Tribunal case 2410271/18

This continues from Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case.

The Claimant’s representative referred to pages 275-276 which had examples of different requirements at different work locations. For example the Claimant had been due to work at Woodside on Monday, the Spaceport on Tuesday and in order to make up her hours had started at the Pier Head on Monday, gone over to Woodside on the boat, then returned back later on Tuesday to Seacombe Terminal before or after work at the Spaceport which had been two days in four different locations.
Continue reading “Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case (part 2)”

Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case

Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case

Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case

                                     

Liverpool Civil & Family Court, Vernon Street, Liverpool, L2 2BX (the venue for First-Tier Tribunal case EA/2016/0033)
Liverpool Civil & Family Court, Vernon Street, Liverpool, L2 2BX (the venue for Employment Tribunal case 2410271/18

Yesterday morning I sat through an hour (including a long adjournment) of an Employment Tribunal brought by a Mrs Margaret Cole against Merseytravel. Mrs Cole alleges that she suffered a detriment, discrimination and/or dismissal on grounds of disability or failure of employer to make reasonable adjustments. Despite recent guidance to court staff stating that both names of solicitors and that press should have access to the hearing bundle and witness statements I was not given access to the hearing bundle, witness statements or told the names of the solicitors despite an explicit verbal request on my part to court staff. I was told that no bundle was available.

This was day three of an expected five days. The hearing started with the Claimant’s representative referring to a 2 page document that had been served by email on the Employment Tribunal by her instructing solicitor. Employment Judge Shotter asked what it was and was told in reference to page 132 of the bundle that it listed all occupational footwear. Employment Judge Shotter asked if Merseytravel’s representative had seen it, to which he answered he had. Employment Judge Shotter then asked if paper copies were available.
Continue reading “Employment Tribunal hears cross-examination of Merseytravel employee in disability discrimination case”

What is in 13 Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region Combined Authority contracts and hundreds of pages of invoices relating to the 15/16 financial year?

What is in 13 Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region Combined Authority contracts and hundreds of pages of invoices relating to the 15/16 financial year?

What is in 13 Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region Combined Authority contracts and hundreds of pages of invoices relating to the 15/16 financial year?

Councillor Steve Foulkes (Labour) (right) speaking at a recent meeting of the Birkenhead Constituency Committee (28th July 2016) while Councillor Pat Cleary (Green) (left) listens
Councillor Steve Foulkes (Labour) (right) speaking at a recent meeting of the Birkenhead Constituency Committee (28th July 2016) | Councillor Pat Cleary (Green) (left) listens. Cllr Steve Foulkes is Merseytravel’s Lead Councillor for Finance and Strategy.

Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority were the last public body to respond to my request to inspect and receive copies during the 30 working day period which was originally supposed to run starting on the 1st July 2016.

Interestingly the public notice for Merseytravel published on their website and the public notice for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority published on Merseytravel’s website, a Julie Watling (Merseytravel) stated in response to a FOI request on the 8th August 2016, that “This notice is not unfortunately on our website at this present time.”.

This was interesting as the 30 working day period isn’t allowed to start until the public notice is published!

However the FOI request went to an internal review and Julie Watling of Merseytravel responded on the 11th August stating that, “However I had been mistakenly informed that the information was not on the website, when in fact it was available at the following links:-”

Merseytravel public notice 15/16 FY

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority public notice 15/16 FY

But then, is it reasonable to expect an organisation to know what’s published on its own website and to answer Freedom of Information Act requests accurately or am I asking too much?

Which is the correct answer?

However the information (or to be more accurate part of the information) I requested arrived in the post yesterday (postage around £6.20 as it was special delivery guaranteed by 1pm) with a covering letter from a trainee solicitor and DVD.

Below is what was on the DVD. I did get a further email yesterday with a contract that had been mistakenly left off the DVD too.

Although the internal review clears up the issue about the public notice on Merseytravel’s website, for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority it should’ve been published on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s website, not Merseytravel’s.

So part of my objection I sent to the auditors yesterday still stands.

The invoices are split by the thirteen accounting periods that Merseytravel used during the 2015 2016 financial year, although why spoil the surprise when you can read for yourself below?

There are some interesting matters to be gleaned from the invoices and contracts, however I don’t have the time at present to blog about them in detail.

Invoices 2015 to 2016 financial year (Merseytravel and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority).

11.3 MARCH3-810124407-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2016

11.2 MARCH2-810124324-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2016

11.1 MARCH1-810124215-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2016

10 FEBRUARY-809164910-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2016

9 JANUARY-809164746-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2016

8 DECEMBER-809164624-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015 2016

7 NOVEMBER-809164505-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

6 OCTOBER-809164348-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

5 AUGUST-810123950-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

4 JULY-809164206-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

3 JUNE-809164104-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

2 MAY-809164000-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

1 APRIL-809162613-0001 Merseytravel LCRCA invoices 2015

Contracts

1 contract with BLACC Consulting LLP (50 pages)

2 contract with Arriva Merseyside Ltd (14 pages)

3.1 Subsidised Bus Service Contracts (42 pages)

3.2 Subsidised Bus Service Contracts (148 pages)

4. Rolling Stock Project Engineering Consultancy Service Agreement Halcrow Group Limited (38 pages)

5. contract with Bircham Dyson Bell LLP (15 pages)

6. Deed to confirm the Consolidated Concession Agreement relating to the services for the carriage of passengers by railway to be provided by Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited (348 pages) (this was an additional contract not originally on the DVD received by email from Merseytravel on the afternoon of Thursday 11th August 2016)

7. TOC Related Services for the Design, Supply and Installation of Passenger Improvements at various Stations as part of the National Stations Improvement Programme (Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited) (25 pages)

8. Local Growth Fund (LGF) for Liverpool City Region Sustainable Transport Enhancement Package (Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council) (62 pages)

9. Funding Agreement for Liverpool South Parkway Real Time Information (Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited) (26 pages)

10. Merseytravel Consultancy Services Framework Agreement 2015-2019 For Consultancy Services (Various Lots) Kenyon Fraser Ltd (68 pages)

11. Framework Agreement for Consultancy Services for the Design of Travel Marketing Literature Kenyon Fraser Ltd (80 pages)

12. Lease for Mann Island HQ, Liverpool with Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft mbH (acting on account of its open-ended fund Hausinvest) (74 pages)

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What were the 9 most viewed stories on this blog over the last week?

What were the 9 most viewed stories on this blog over the last week?

                                                      

ICO Information Commissioner's Office logo
As nearly half of the stories this week are about freedom of information requests the logo above is of ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) who are the regulator

It’s time again to look back at the 9 most viewed stories of the last week (with a few comments on each of them).

1. 5 different versions of one political cover up but which one will you choose?

The BIG/ISUS issues rumble on with a government minister making sure an audit report isn’t provided in response to a FOI request.

2. Isle of Man company cancels plans for ICT College in Birkenhead

Wirral Council is forced to go back to the drawing board on plans to lease the Conway Building and Hamilton Building in Birkenhead as Isle of Man based International Centre for Technology Ltd pulls the plug on the project.

3. Incredible: FOI reveals “the Council are seeking to draw a line under matters in relation to Mr Morton”

A FOI request reveals a behind the scenes email about how to manage Martin Morton.

4. Why after 2 years, 9 months and 13 days have Wirral Council U-turned on refusing a FOI request for minutes of the Safeguarding Reference Group?

Another story about a FOI request and a long running battle to persuade Wirral Council to produce minutes of a meeting about safeguarding.

5. Does fire safety construction flaw at PFI school affect Wirral schools?

A story about how a flaw at one of Merseyside’s school built using PFI led to fire safety problems, are any of the PFI schools on Wirral affected?

6. Is this what an “open and transparent” Council looks like?

A question answered by a number of blacked out pages from the BAM Nuttall Highway Services contract.

7. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan tells councillors “90 working days” are lost each year in responding to FOI requests

Continuing a theme running through a number of these stories about freedom of information requests, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan gives his view on freedom of information.

8. Cllr Foulkes on Mersey Ferries “we cherish that service and want to maintain it”

Cllr Foulkes responds to the campaign to save Woodside ferry terminal.

9. Why is Merseytravel spending £57,000 + VAT to monitor this blog?

The top story in last week’s round up details how much Merseytravel spend on media monitoring.

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What were the 9 most viewed stories on this blog over the last week?

What were the 9 most viewed stories on this blog over the last week?

                                                  

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson on a train
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson on a train

There are many stories I plan to publish on this blog soon. There’s one involving Hoylake Golf Resort, a story involving a cover-up at Wirral Council sanctioned by a Conservative Minister and of course the steady stream of news that is local politics. I also plan to look back at what were the most viewed news stories in 2015.

However it’s time to look back at the 9 most viewed stories of the last week (with a few comments on each of them).

1. Why is Merseytravel spending £57,000 + VAT to monitor this blog?

This is a look at what Merseytravel spend on media monitoring (which covers not just this blog, but newspapers and broadcast media too). It formed part of my citizen audit over the summer (but with tales of councillors’ salmon dinners and stays at gentleman’s clubs by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority councillors) only was published now.

2. Will the 20 councillors on Merseytravel mothball the Mersey Ferry terminal at Woodside?

The big news story of the week was about whether the Mersey Ferries had a future at Woodside. Councillors disagreed with the consultants and asked for an option that kept the three terminals (Woodside, Seacombe and Liverpool Pier Head).

3. A look back to a fictional Birkenhead in 1894 and how things hardly change!

Inspired by the Sherlock Christmas special, this went back in time to 1894 to a fictional conversation around the Brace breakfast table. Yes Wirral is still in Cheshire, blogs don’t yet exist and the first Mersey Tunnel for the railway has recently been opened.

4. Wirral Council’s Cabinet agrees to consultation on £2.498 million of cuts

The consultation started by Cabinet before Christmas on cuts at Wirral Council continues.

5. Incredible: FOI reveals “the Council are seeking to draw a line under matters in relation to Mr Morton”

A FOI request Wirral Council would rather I hadn’t published surfaces to show what senior management thinks of whistleblowers.

6. What was Liverpool City Council’s incredible 6 page response to the FOI consultation?

Number five leads in to Liverpool City Council’s views on Freedom of Information. They suggest a series of radical moves. They want the 18 hour rule changed to 6 or 7 hours, for those making Freedom of Information requests to be charged for the time it takes Liverpool City Council to black out information, more opportunity to deem requests vexatious and to abolish internal reviews.

7. Wirral Council receives extra £725,000 of education funding (but Lyndale is still closing)

A story about how merely doing things differently at Wirral Council led to more money.

8. How much a mile do taxis for Wirral’s councillors cost (between £1.33 and £6.40/mile)?

Continuing a long-running series of articles on councillors’ expenses, the price list for councillors’ taxi journeys.

9. What was Cllr Samantha Dixon (Chester West and Chester Leader)’s response to criticism over disabled parking problems in Chester?

A story about the possible unlawful expenditure of ~£650,000 and the welcome disabled drivers receive in Chester. I’ll be providing updates on this story soon and what The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Exemptions for Disabled Persons) (England) Regulations 2000 has to do with it all.

So that’s it, the top nine stories read in the past week and a teaser for a few to come.

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