Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Media Coverage - Emergency Housing
Dear Councillors
You may have seen the Council mentioned in the media in the last two days as part of a story on emergency housing expenditure across the country since 2010. Haringey Council was named as the highest spender, with £197 million spent since 2010.
This figure is inaccurate and was provided in error in response to a Freedom of Information request from the Press Association. The correct figures are below, totalling around £52million since 2010:
Year Ending 31 March 2013 |
Year Ending 31 March 2012 |
Year Ending 31 March 2011 |
Year Ending 31 March 2010 |
£000's |
£000's |
£000's |
£000's |
10,533 |
10,878 |
10,504 |
20,311 |
These correct figures show we are in a similar position to other London boroughs. I hope this helps clarify the situation, but please feel free to contact me if you need any more information.
Yours sincerely
Phil Harris
Deputy Director, Community Housing Services
Tags for Forum Posts: Emergency Housing, Evening Standard, Freedom of Information Act, Media Coverage
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Update: On 24 January Cllr George Meehan emailed Phil Harris, Deputy Director, Community Housing Services.
----- Original Message -----From: Cllr Meehan GeorgeTo: Phil Harris ; Labour Councillors ; Lib Dem Councillors ; Independent Councillors ; Cllr Alan StantonCc: Nick WalkleySent: Friday, January 24, 2014 4:55 PMSubject: RE: Media coverage - emergency housingDear Phil,How could such an error happen in providing facts to a Freedom of Information request? The least that Members should expect is that when providing such information it is checked to make sure it is factually accurate. Can you please explain how this happened.Kind regards,George Meehan
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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ALAN thanks for flagging this. On this occasion, I think the mistake was merely carelessness – an extra zero added, perhaps?
You've done more FoIs than me, but in the past few years, I've noticed a pattern whereby they're not always taken as seriously as they should by officials. I've experienced:- Misleading statements
- Unreasonable delay in answering (three months in one case)
- Overuse of: – can't answer because XYZ is commercially confidential
- Flat contradiction between answers given to separate FoIs by different people
- An answer on the last lawful day (i.e. on the 20th "working" day – perhaps in order not to create an expectation of efficiency ?!)
- The erection of money-barriers to frustrate answering (one response wanted to charge me more than £7,400, where the information requested ought to have been at the fingertips of a vitally important department)
I'm always grateful when the council has supplied promptly, a full clear honest answer.
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I can't spot where adding a zero would alter £52m to £197m. And your calling it "mere carelessness" ignores the sheer size of the error and the likely reputational damage to the Borough. It also raises a question of how reliable other statistics may be.
When Zena Brabazon and I saw this, she immediately shot off an email asking what on earth was going on. While I looked up the Guardian's data on Homelessness - the latest figures are from 2011. In the list for English local authorities Haringey is just below Brent for households accepted as homeless in 2011 (per thousand households).
Are these data accurate or also suspect? Because whether it's "merely careless" or PR, narrative, spin, fake "pledges", or downright lies, once the "currency" of information is debased how can anyone fully trust anything any more?
Which is bad enough if the information is about the number of potholes filled, or how many youth clubs are really open. But when we can no longer trust the statistics for homelessness how can sensible decisions get made on this issue?
Your more general point about answers to Freedom of Information Act questions is something I also take very seriously. Not least because democracy works best with a culture of openness and transparency, with an informed electorate who can routinely and easily access accurate information. In Kober's secret Haringey, Freedom of Information requests are (were?) one of the precious few avenues to get reliable information.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
(P.S. Are you going to be a LibDem candidate in May, Clive? If so, don't you need to say so?
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Alan sorry to disagree with you, but I don't think that this mistake will cause reputational damage. The sheer size of the mistake guaranteed it'd be noticed. It was so hugely and obviously wrong that it was easily spotted by any number of people.
It lifted my eyebrows. I don't know what led to the mistake, but IMO there's no lasting damage other than some embarrassment. It was quickly and easily rectified.
By contrast, my list that you've seen is far less able to be noticed, except by the few souls who go to the trouble of making FoIs. The character of those responses is more insidious. I was perhaps a bit mean about the fifth point (20th day); but feel angry about the last point (i.e. price as obstruction).
I'm disappointed that former PM Tony Blair regards the Freedom of Information Act as his biggest mistake. I wholly agree about the need for transparency (BTW, if I've any news to report on candidacy Alan, you'll be the first to know! ;-)
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Alan, your photos raise a smile and chuckle, even with this Liberal Democrat ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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I don't agree Clive. Already reprinted in the Londonist without comment and shared on Twitter. It's a figure that is likely to keep on coming back to haunt the council and they are going to waste precious hours correcting what most people will prefer to believe because it fits the deficit 'Haringey narrative"
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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I've commented on the Londonist article, obviously there are others out there but worth pointing out the error I guess!
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Oh dear, that's no good. It's to be expected that the council sometimes takes a casual and disrespectful attitude to FOI enquiries from mere residents and councillors.
On reflection, they really ought to take more care with an enquiry from the Press Association. It's surprising that such a mistake was made, because this council normally spends much money on and attention to, its big PR effort.Perhaps they'll conclude they need to pay their top PR people more: the last Haringey PR job I heard about, paid only £92,000 p.a.
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Permalink Reply by Seema Chandwani on
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Ahem Mr Victor Meldrew...
I do believe Cllr Stanton asked you a question.
Are you going to be a LibDem candidate in May, Clive? If so, don't you need to say so?
I won't believeeeeeee it until I hear you say it!
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Well, we'e all made silly mistakes at work but that makes me feel competent.
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Permalink Reply by Neville Collins on
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Why is Haringey spending so much money on emergency accomodation in the first place? It could have been better spent on ACTUALLY housing the homeless.....
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