Dear Mr. Jeynes,
I thank you for your response.
If, as you state, there is no legal obligation for you to hold your accounts on your website perhaps it is a course of action that should be undertaken, in a spirit of 'openness', as is done by many other organisations, both public and private.
Experience has shown that where organisations make finding information about themselves far from easy usually means they have something to hide. Perhaps you can explain why I should have to pay £1 per document at Companies House to discover information about your organisation which, it can be argued, you should be only too willing to provide yourselves.
To state that your list of clients is 'commercially confidential information' is, pardon me, pure hogwash. You will note I did not ask for any financial information about clients - ie, what service was provided and the cost - only a list of clients and such a list can hardly be classified as 'commercially confidential'. By comparison, it would seem that Sungard, who it is noticed are your 'Drinks Sponsors' for your Annual Dinner, appear only too willing to name clients - including UK local authorities - on their website for whom they have provided 'services'.
Initially, there are important factors involved in the article which appeared in the Sunday Times. If serving council officials, whose salaries are paid by taxpayers, are in effect 'moonlighting' then as a taxpayer I have a right to know. If, as your website states, Solace Enterprises Health has recourse to the services of 'associates', with 'extensive health experience, who are currently working within NHS organisations', then again as a taxpayer I have a right to know.
It is noted that your response only dealt with Annual Accounts, so where on your website are the Annual Reports for the three sections of Solace, or are the contents of these documents considered 'commercially confidential'?
On a personal level I am totally frustrated at what I can only term 'obfuscation', a practice which appears prevalent amongst any organisation which, at first sight, would seem to have a 'link' with either central or local government.
Failing what I consider to be an acceptable response from you, please be advised that I intend placing our correspondence in the public domain, so that the public can draw its own conclusions in respect of your apparent reticence.
Subject: RE: SOLACE Group
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 08:22:59 +0000
From: james.jeynes@solace.org.uk
David
Thank you for your email.
Accounts for SOLACE, SOLACE Enterprises and the SOLACE Foundation are available from Companies House through the normal channels, unfortunately there is no legal obligation for the accounts to be held on our website as they are accessible through CH.
The list of clients you refer to is commercially confidential information and would not be published in our Annual Report as a matter of course.
Thank you for your enquiry and we will do our best to help more if we are able to.
Kind regards
James Jeynes
James Jeynes MIAM
Head of Membership Services
SOLACE
T: 0845 652 4010
F: 0845 652 4011
M: 07740 192 123
W: www.solace.org.uk
SOLACE Annual Dinner
Intercontinental Park Lane
London, 4th February 2009
www.solace.org.uk/annualdinner
Sent: 05 January 2009 19:01
To: resource.centre@solaceenterprises.com
Subject: Solace Group
Sir,
Presumably for Solace, Solace Enterprises and the Solace Foundation Annual Reports and Annual Accounts are available.
Perhaps you would advise me where on your website these documents can be obtained. If not available on your website then perhaps you would similarly advise where they can be accessed.
It is noted that your website states the majority of UK councils are clients and if the list of councils who have used your services is not included in your annual report, it would be appreciated if you can supply such a list.
I look forward to your response in due course.
With many thanks
2 comments:
Oh c'mon, just spend the £3 at Co's House and publish the gory details!
I fully intend to Mark - there is however the small matter of principle - if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear (now where have I heard that before!) - and I am totally 'euronated' off at the standard bureaucratic attitude!
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