You’ve got the wrong Alun!

Madam,

I thought I should bring to your attention a mix-up in a letter from Chris Samuel regarding the Aberystwyth bandstand and a Freedom of Information request.

Mr Samuel incorrectly placed the responsibility on myself for the decision that an exemption applies to the information in this case.

As you are aware (because it was correctly reported in the Cambrian News the previous week) it was in fact a different Alun Williams – the council’s head of policy support - that decided, on review, that those exemptions were valid.

Councillors are – quite rightly - not involved in decisions about Freedom of Information requests. The head of policy support has the formal role of reviewing the small number of requests that the council is unable to answer due to the legal exemptions.

These decisions can then be further scrutinised by the Information Commissioner, who acts as a referee on these matters and occasionally, if there is still a dispute, by the courts.

Ceredigion’s head of policy support is a lovely chap, with a lovely name, but he’s not me!

Yours etc,

Cllr Alun Williams.

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