Who do you think you are kidding Mr Pickles?

Last week I was peeved by two separate responses to recent Freedom of Information request to Uncle Eric’s Department of Communities and Local Government. Both the requests relate to obtaining supporting evidence to statements that he has made and which I strongly suspect he was just spouting off without any proof.

The first request relates to Uncle Eric’s phony war on councils that refuse to call Christmas Christmas.  Here are the details:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a_winters_tale#incoming-139542

My request was declared vexatious as:

In the part of your request for information about councils which might have decided not to officially use the word “Christmas” you asked whether they had replaced it with either “Winterval, Luminous, Winter Lights, Festivus, Bauble-icious, Ice To See You, to see you ice, Turkey Twizzle or any other un-christian alternative nomenclature”.  Some of the terms you have used here are clearly fictitious in this context.

Er.. I think they missed the point here. I thought it was me that was subtly suggesting that Uncle Eric was making stuff up and now they have turned this round in some Kafkaesque manner. Help!!

So I fired off a reply demanding another Internal Review. Here is my slightly bad tempered response:

Dear Chums,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for
Communities and Local Government's handling of my FOI request 'A
Winter's Tale'.

I am deeply upset that my request has been declared vexatious. I am
trying to simply discover those councils that were not going to
call Christmas Christmas. I supplied some alternative names that
they may or may not have decided to use. You suggest these are
fictitious. I must say I probably agree and that my dear friend is
the key tenet of this request. Uncle Eric was spinning stories!!

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/a_...

Yours in faith,

Derek Tickles

My 2^nd request that caused consternation, related to evidence to support the claims made by Uncle Eric that the local government settlement was ‘fair’ and ‘progressive’. The original request titled Money’s Too Tight To Mention can be seen here:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/moneys_to_tight_to_mention

This request was penned whilst Mrs Tickles and I kicked back and listened to the dulcet tones of Simply Red, a group that does not receive enough airplay on The Eric and Brandon Show on Phoenix FM, our local radio station in Brentwood.

“I been laid off from work my rent is due

My kids all need brand new shoes

So I went to the bank to see what they could do

They said son looks like bad luck got a hold on you

Money’s too tight to mention”

Magic!?!

So I was expecting a response that included a mass of complicated spreadsheets, reams of data and a comprehensive report from DCLG. Instead I got a link to minutes from meeting that took place months ago about concessionary fares. I might act the fool but I am not foolish so I forced to request my second Internal Review. 

Here is my response:

Dear Mr Chandler

I assume Uncle Eric put you up to this and this is not the response you would have given of your own free will?

So is Uncle Eric tugging at my wick? The information you supplied does not come close to meeting my requirements.

The links you supplied do not extinguish the flame of my desires to unearth the real evidence (or lack of) that relate to claims of a 'fair' and 'progressive' settlement. I would expected the evidence to have waxed more lyrically about the formula grant and specific grants in general not just focus on a very small concessionary travel fund.

I am interest in the £80 billion not a few million quid. Whilst the spreadsheets and models are probably useful they are not worth the candle for my inquiry.

If by chance Uncle Eric has no evidence to support his claims then perhaps he should be honest and say so.

Hence I request once of those nasty internal reviews (again).

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Communities and Local Government's handling of my FOI request 'Money's to tight to mention'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/mo...

Your incandescently,

Derek Tickles

I will keep you posted once I receive a reply.

Exit, pursued by a bear.

Derek