Category: Merseytravel

ICO request Merseytravel complete internal review in 20-40 working days on information request made in July 2018 for copies of invoices!

ICO request Merseytravel complete internal review in 20-40 working days on information request made in July 2018 for copies of invoices!

ICO request Merseytravel complete internal review in 20-40 working days on information request made in July 2018 for copies of invoices!

                                   

Cllr Steve Foulkes (Lead Member for Finance and Organisational Development) front (right) answering a question at a public meeting of the Transport Committee (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 9th August 2018
Cllr Steve Foulkes (Lead Member for Finance and Organisational Development) front (right) answering a question at a public meeting of the Transport Committee (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 9th August 2018

Updated 31.1.19 Merseytravel state to ICO that they won’t do an internal review, ICO now don’t class it as a FOI request.

This is an update to a blog post from August 2018 headlined What was the answer to my question to Cllr Steve Foulkes about openness at Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority?

I made an appeal to the regulator for information requests (ICO) on the 12th August 2018. Merseytravel have now been requested to treat my correspondence of 10th August 2018 as a request for an internal review of my earlier information request in July 2018 and have been requested by ICO after that internal review is complete to provide a fresh response within 20-40 working days (from the 25th January 2019).
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What did the public ask the 4 MPs on the House of Commons Transport Committee in Liverpool yesterday?

What did the public ask the 4 MPs on the House of Commons Transport Committee in Liverpool yesterday?

What did the public ask the 4 MPs on the House of Commons Transport Committee in Liverpool yesterday?

                                    

Transport Committee (House of Commons) Question and Answer Session Right Lilian Greenwood MP (Chair, Nottingham South) left Daniel Zeichner MP (Cambridge), Mann Island, Liverpool 14th January 2019
Transport Committee (House of Commons) Question and Answer Session Right Lilian Greenwood MP (Chair, Nottingham South) left Daniel Zeichner MP (Cambridge), Mann Island, Liverpool 14th January 2019

The House of Commons Transport Committee visited Liverpool yesterday to hear a formal evidence session from witnesses from Merseytravel, Arriva and Stagecoach. Unfortunately their link video recording link didn’t work and their session is only at the time of publication available in audio which can be listened to here. Although I was present for part of that, I’m not permitted to film it although it was interesting to see how scrutiny by Members of Parliament is different to scrutiny by councillors.

However I did film the later public question and answer session which was well attended by the public and raised a whole range of very interesting transport issues.
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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.
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Merseytravel disclosed new trains cost £273,424,952.00 then claimed the figure was “commercially sensitive”!

Merseytravel disclosed new trains cost £273,424,952.00 then claimed the figure was “commercially sensitive”!

Merseytravel disclosed new trains cost £273,424,952.00 then claimed the figure was “commercially sensitive”!

                                      

Stadler invoice Merseytravel 22nd February 2017
Stadler invoice Merseytravel 22nd February 2017
George Orwell – “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed, everything else is public relations”
 

During the audit last year (2016-17) of the accounts for Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority I received a copy of an invoice (which you can read above) from Stadler to Merseytravel for part payment (10%) for 52 new trains. The total cost is clearly indicated on the invoice as £273,424,952.00 (of which 10% is £27,342,495.20). This was through exercising a right outlined in s.26 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.
Continue reading “Merseytravel disclosed new trains cost £273,424,952.00 then claimed the figure was “commercially sensitive”!”