WHY DID NCC NOT RELEASE THE INFORMATION WHEN ASKED FOR IT NPL ?

Date 12 April 2007
Information obtained by the Act and reported in the NPL
In April 2006 the News Post Leader reported that
Northumberland County Council’s pension fund
had investments worth more than £5m in 15 of
the world’s largest arms manufacturers one of
just two authorities in the country that invests in all
15 of the military giants .
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act
revealed the fund held investments
worth £5,245,269 in the global arms dealers,
The figures were released by Campaign Against the Arms Trade
(CAAT) after one of the UK’s most extensive Freedom of Information
Investigations into council finances,

In June 2006 we reported how the county council had been accused of ‘misleading’ education chiefs.
An Expression of Interest document released under freedom of
that the county's plans to build academy in Blyth had widespread support from councillors, officials and governors from Blyth Community College.
But in a joint statement the chairman and vice chairman of the colleges governing body said there was no such support and they made a official compliant over the "lack of a true democratic process and untruthful statements"

In July 2006 we revealed how the county council had spent over £1.5 m of taxpayers money over 2 years on company cars for its employees.
The cash strapped council-which was struggling with a budget deficit of £26.3 m -was spending cash on a BMW 530 SE for its chief executive Mark Henderson, while his deputy chief executive Jill Dixon was enjoying the use of a Audi A3 Sportback.

Nice cars for Mark and Jill, we pay for them out of our rates, must be nice to spend taxpayers money and not say thank you ?