Monday 11 March 2013

Gas/Electric Bills To Asylum Seekers Truth No Myth




SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Request
I refer to your requests for information dated 9 July 2012 and 1 December 2012, in relation to utilities payments made in discharge of duties under the former contract to support asylum seekers. Please find your questions and our responses below:


Previous request
1, Over the Christmas / New year 2011 Salford Council paid out with pre payment fuel
  (Gas & Electric) top up to asylum seekers can you please give how many got this hand out,
   and how much in total was given out.

Total for this period was £13, 955 for 81 properties,

2, This is part of an all year handout please tell me in the year of 2011 how much in full was paid out in total?

Total for utilities supply was £81, 220,

Latest request
1.    Over the Christmas and New Year 2012 period how much will the asylum seekers be getting topped up on both gas / electric keys/cards


The Council exited this contract at the start of December 2012, and no longer supports any service users.

1.    How many are eligible for this payment this year 2012 and how many in same respect received it last year 2011

With regard to your questions above we can confirm the information is not held by the Council.  The Council no longer delivers this contract.

2.    As we are aware of this is part of a continuous payment could you tell me to current date, going back 2 years how much has been paid to asylum seekers with respect to the gas / electrics top ups.

We are unable to provide this information as we do not hold the information. Please make contact directly with UKBA on this matter.
 
3.    With the rising of utility bills could you tell me what the weekly payment is for this financial year, and in same respect what was last years.

No Answer

Sunday 10 March 2013

The Council & The Money Wasting




SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Requests


In regards to the Yemeni Community Association in the past 3 years to current date of request
    
1.    Could you tell me how much money was paid or funding they have had    
2.    Please detail what the funding was for    
3.    On the sign on the wall outside it says Salford Council work in partnership with the Yemeni Community Association, please explain what this means and if you are working in partnership then details of what duties you conduct for them, or how many staff are allocated to them

The Yemeni Community Association is a Third sector organisation which is independent from Salford City Council and as such the council do not carry out duties or allocate staff to the organisation. As part of their funding arrangements with the Council they are required (as is usual practice with all funded organisations) to give recognition as appropriate that they receive funding from the Council.

The council can confirm that during the period 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2013 Salford City Council will have funded the Yemeni Community Association a total of £54,446 in Voluntary sector grants and Community Committee funding.

Voluntary sector Grants – This funding is awarded to the Yemeni Community Association to deliver specific outcomes as identified in the service level agreement (SLA).  Aims of the SLA include the following:

  • To enable the voluntary sector to develop the range of services available to Salford residents, ensuring that services are improved and expanded in a flexible way to meet the needs of local people.

  • To encourage and facilitate the development of initiatives in the voluntary sector that will support Salford residents and improve their quality of life.

  • To ensure that the needs of Salford residents are identified and that services are responsive, culturally sensitive and accessible to all ethnic minority groups within the City.




Community Committee Funding (included in total above) - 2012/13 £1,202 – one off grant funding for room hire, transport, dance tutors and equipment

A separate grant was awarded (not included in the total above) for improvement work as part of the Liverpool Road Building Front Improvement scheme - Eccles Mosque received a grant of £11,200 from Salford City Council in 2008/09 towards improving the frontage to the Mosque.