[OpenSpending] Contents of openspending Digest, Vol 59, Issue 10

Wed Nov 26 15:22:10 UTC 2014

Hi Community
In the UK, there is a coalition government agreement to make public service spending transparent and open. This policy agenda applies from central government down to local (county/borough/district) council level. Though at a very local level - parish councils/residents associations etc. - the agenda would be unlikely to apply.

A) To facilitate this aspiration, all central government departments and most government sponsored (supported by direct funding) bodies are required to publish all senior staff salaries, in accessible formats. This requirement is not underpinned by legislation. Not all departments due to technology constraints are able to publish in open format yet. Staff below Senior Civil Service (equivalent board level) salaries are published by grade. Payroll and pay slip data is not available under law (data protection) Tax arrangements for individuals not directly employed on a government contract are in some instances available.

B) Expenses and hospitality data is also now a publication requirement. It was introduced under the Transparency Agenda about 18 months ago. Again it is not a legal requirement. It is unclear if actual claims or receipts would be available due to data protection and security concerns. The UK like Slovenia has a public interest test under FOI and I am not aware this access has been tested.

C) Details for spending and in some cases approvals are published by departments. The spend amount released is dependent on each department. However the expectation is for all expenditure over £25k to be published and on procurement cards (special credit cards) any amount over £500. All expenditure is considered to be public but details which would allow an individual's identity to be discovered are withheld (data protection law).

These links will direct you to relevant examples:
      Data.gov.uk - public roles and salaries
      http://data.gov.uk/organogram/cabinet-office

      BIS directors general: travel, meetings and hospitality, January to March 2014
      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-directors-general-travel-meetings-and-hospitality-january-to-march-2014

      BIS senior officials travel: January to March 2014
      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-senior-officials-travel-january-to-march-2014

      DCMS - Disclosure of Senior and Junior Salaries and Production of Organogram - March 2014
      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-disclosure-of-senior-and-junior-salaries-and-production-of-organogram-march-2014

      BIS: spending over £500 on a GPC for May 2014
      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-spending-over-500-on-a-gpc-for-may-2014

Further information and details on the UK government policy may be located here:
Improving the transparency and accountability of government and its services
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-the-transparency-and-accountability-of-government-and-its-services

MarySusan Barry
* (00 44 0) 208 856 6419 | * (00 44 0) 7759 797467 |* msbarry at o2.co.uk<mailto:MarySusan.Barry at bis.gsi.gov.uk> *MarySusan.Barry at bis.gsi.gov.uk<mailto:MarySusan.Barry at bis.gsi.gov.uk>

-----Original Message-----
From: openspending [mailto:openspending-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of openspending-request at lists.okfn.org
Sent: 24 November 2014 12:00
To: openspending at lists.okfn.org
Subject: openspending Digest, Vol 59, Issue 10

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: openspending Digest, Vol 59, Issue 8 (Codru Vrabie)

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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 11:54:10 +0200
From: Codru Vrabie <codru.vrabie at gmail.com<mailto:codru.vrabie at gmail.com>>
To: openspending at lists.okfn.org<mailto:openspending at lists.okfn.org>
Subject: Re: [OpenSpending] openspending Digest, Vol 59, Issue 8
Message-ID:
        <CABNfNrV4L+q1yGDWpuzeOApKcWGvOQby_ENazGBt+VCrgMKgfQ at mail.gmail.com<mailto:CABNfNrV4L+q1yGDWpuzeOApKcWGvOQby_ENazGBt+VCrgMKgfQ at mail.gmail.com>>
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hi, Pam :)  a--the salary grid is in the law, so it's already public;  other income is available to the public in the assets declarations;  b--expenses may be published upon request, and receipts should be available under FOI;  c--i don't know, as we don't really have a public interest test of the likes they have in slovenia, for example :(  cheers!
--Codru

===
www.codruvrabie.eu<http://www.codruvrabie.eu>      mobile: +4-072-355-2180
===============================================
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind
with an open one.           --Malcolm S. Forbes

On Tue, Nov 18, 2014 at 2:00 PM, <openspending-request at lists.okfn.org<mailto:openspending-request at lists.okfn.org>>
wrote:

> Send openspending mailing list submissions to
>         openspending at lists.okfn.org<mailto:openspending at lists.okfn.org>
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>         https://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/openspending
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>         openspending-request at lists.okfn.org<mailto:openspending-request at lists.okfn.org>
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
>         openspending-owner at lists.okfn.org<mailto:openspending-owner at lists.okfn.org>
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of openspending digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. EU Commission refuses to publish Commissioners' expenses -
>       what about your government? (Pam Bartlett Quintanilla)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 16:14:58 +0100
> From: Pam Bartlett Quintanilla <pam at access-info.org<mailto:pam at access-info.org>>
> To: openspending at lists.okfn.org<mailto:openspending at lists.okfn.org>
> Subject: [OpenSpending] EU Commission refuses to publish
>         Commissioners' expenses - what about your government?
> Message-ID: <546A10F2.4050905 at access-info.org<mailto:546A10F2.4050905 at access-info.org>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; Format="flowed"
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> In May, Access Info asked the European Commission for the salaries,
> travel costs, travel expenses and other expenses of the EU
> Commissioners and of then-Commission President Barroso.
>
> In response we got the following answer:
>
> _Travel (official mission) expenses, All Commissioners and Commission
> President_
>
> 2012: 3.400.006,36?
> 2013: 3.389.334,35?
>
> _Representation expenses, All Commissioners and Commission President_
> 2012: 471.076,99 ?
> 2013: 334.419,07 ?
>
> Of course we appealed, and in August, we managed to get a sum per
> Commissioner, but absolutely no break-down or details, in order to
> protect personal data. You can see the response here (as well as the
> full chain of correspondence) <
> http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/commissioners_expenses_2012_and_2#i
> ncoming-5228
> >.
>
> We are now planning to complain to the European Ombudsman but for this
> we need comparative data, and particularly, examples of transparent
> practicein this area, especially from EU Member States, if possible.
> So I have some questions for you:
>
> _*Questions for OpenSpending list members*_
>
> a) Are Ministers' (or Heads of State) salaries published in your
> country? Is this required by law? Can you see each individual's salary
> or only salary grades? What level of officials publish their salaries?
> (Please send a link to a pay slip if they are published in your
> countries)
>
> b) Are actual expenses made public or only entitlements? Is this
> published proactively or only upon request? Can you see actual
> expenses claims and/or receipts? (Please send a link to an example if
> the answer is yes!) Is this obliged by law? (whether it be a FOI law
> or an anti-corruption law, etc)
>
> c) In case you know, where is the line drawn between privacy and
> transparency when it comes to public officials' spending? Do you have
> jurisprudence on this? How far down the political chain does
> transparency go in your countries?
>
> Many thanks in advance.
>
> With best wishes,
>
> Pam
>
> PS. *If you also want to call for more transparency in the spending of
> Commissioner expenses, click on "I also want to know" at this link*:
>
> http://blog.asktheeu.org/2014/08/join-the-campaign-to-make-eu-commissi
> oner-expenses-transparent/
>
> If you are tech-savy and want to embed a widget for this request in
> your website to help us gather clicks on "I also want to know", you
> can copy the code
> <http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/1338/widget/create> at the bottom of the page.
>
>
> --
> Pamela Bartlett Quintanilla
> Researcher and Campaigner
> Access Info Europe | www.AsktheEU.org<http://www.AsktheEU.org>
> Cava San Miguel 8 4C, Madrid, Spain
> Phone: +34 91 365 6558
> Mobile: +34 699 354 215
> Twitter: @PamBQ
>
>
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