• WHY is it so difficult to get even the most simple requests for information from Camden Council answered?

It took me many weeks to get a response as to whether a voluntary organisations was paying rent to the council, as is required by other such organisations.

The usual avoidance tactic is not to reply to emails, presumably hoping that you will give up after the third reminder.

This means that you have to use the legal Freedom of the Information Act route. Even this is difficult as if you don’t get your question quite right you have to rephrase it and wait another 20 working days.

For councillors the system is simple by the use of a members enquiry and the use of their support officer. The only redress on no response is to go through the complaints procedure. True there is the data section on the council website but this can be hard to navigate.

My most recent questions are about current national media concerns over dangerous school structures… have surveys been carried out?

And whether Camden schools are continuing to experience falling rolls. And whether the predicted closure of landlines will affect users of the Careline system.

My understanding is that the primary role of councillors is to ensure that the needs of the electorate are met. I note that rarely, if ever, do councillors respond to issues raised in the CNJ.

Occasionally a spokesperson will comment something along the lines of “the council takes… seriously”; even when the issue was the death of a council tenant arising from the failure to provide adequate fire safety provisions resulting in a fine of £500,000.

At the core of any democracy is the provision of information to the electorate so that they can decide on the performance of those they elect to represent them. Non-disclosure dangerously undermines democracy.

MICK FARRANT, NW5