Dear New Plymouth District Council (NPDC),

I am writing to request all information to which I am entitled under section 12 of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) (The Act).

Please find below my OIA request, which relates to NPDC's Code of Ethics, Business Conduct, Standards of integrity, code of conduct and conflict of interest policy.

1. Please provide copies of NPDC’s policy documentation regards integrity and conduct.

2. Please provide copies of NPDC’s policy documentation for managing conflicts of interest – a declaration. This would be the essential documentation that shows all NPDC staff involved in a procurement activity complete and sign a Conflict of Interest

This Declaration and a Confidentiality Agreement. Would include.

2a. all members of the procurement team (staff, contractors and consultants)
2b. all members of the evaluation panel
2c. any consultant asked to advise the team
2d. anyone involved in making a recommendation
2e. anyone involved in approving a recommendation or making an important decision
2f. anyone making a financial approval for the procurement.

The Declaration would require the person to identify any actual, perceived or potential conflicts of interest.

3. Please provide proof that the declarations register is revisited regularly and checked once a supplier has been chosen. Everyone who has signed one needs to check whether they have a conflict of interest in relation to the supplier or any of the named personnel in the supplier’s tender.

4. Please provide copies of NPDC’s policy documentation regards managing an identified conflict of interest.

5. A list of all current disclosed and undisclosed conflicts of interests.

6. A list of all the companies, individuals and organisations that the mayor, Councillors and chief executive work for or contract to as consultants or advisors or in any role other than Mayor, Councillor or chief executive either as a sole trader, a company, for a company, or as an individual.

7. The number of hours/days per week the Mayor, Councillors or Chief Executive generally work or have planned to work, or have disclosed that they work or will work, as an advisor or consultant or in any capacity other than as their local government position, as disclosed to colleagues and council staff, and/or recorded via meetings schedule or weekly calendar, and/or by any other statement or admission.

8. Details (times, dates, duration, attendees) of any meetings the Mayor, Councillors or Chief Executive have held or planned to hold for non-council business, for personal use, as a consultant or an advisor, and in any capacity other than their local government position in their council offices or on council premises, or organised by or via council personal assistants or secretaries (or any other NPDC staff member).

9. Please provide details of any National Audit Office (NAO) inspections, reviews, assessments or investigations between 1st January 2016 and 10th July 2022.

10. Please provide details of any Serious Fraud Office (SFO) inspections, reviews, assessments or investigations between 1st January 2016 and 10th July 2022.

11. Please provide details of any Police inspection, reviews, assessments or investigations between 1st January 2016 and 10th July 2022.

I understand that under the act, I am entitled to a response within 20 days. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Craig Hardgrave

Dear New Plymouth District Council (NPDC).

Delayed response to my FOI request titled NPDC Standards of integrity, conduct and conflict of interest policy submitted 6th July 2022.

Please acknowledge this follow-up request and provide a copy by this means of NPDC's freedom of Information complaints procedures.

Supply reason why you have not answered or provided the requested information in my official information request which is within the public interest (The public's right to know). There is a clear acceptance today, on a worldwide basis and in international law, that access to information held by government is vital insofar as it enables better participation in the democratic process; helps to promote trust in government; and, if necessary, enables both central and local government to be held to account.

NPDC holds huge amounts of information which can and should be able to be resorted to by researchers, businesses, and citizens, for all sorts of purposes outside government. In short, government itself is perhaps the major repository of information of general public utility in any given society.

If i have not received the requested information by close-of-play (CoP) Friday 12th August 2022 i will submit a formal complaint for injunctive and other appropriate relief and seeking the disclosure and release of local government records improperly withheld from me (future plaintiff) by NPDC.

To date, you as the future defendant (NPDC) have not provided the records requested by me (future plaintiff) in my FOIA request, notwithstanding the FOIA’s requirement of an agency response within twenty (20) working days.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Craig Hardgrave