
When the problem first came to light at the end of 2014 and early 2015 TDC also announced that it would launch its own enquiry into what many believe to have been criminal neglect of the health and safety of large number of council workers. At a meeting of Thanet Council’s UKIP controlled Cabinet on 22 October, it was reported that this enquiry, carried out by an independent expert, has been completed. Having an interest in this matter I tried to get hold of a copy of the report by submitting a Freedom of Information request. Yesterday I got a reply to my request and surprise, surprise in keeping with its culture of secrecy, TDC rejected my request.The reasons TDC gave for refusing my request were based upon the following sections of the Freedom of Information Act: Section 31(1)(c) (administration of justice); Section 36(2) (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs); Section 41 (information provided in confidence). TDC also informed me that their decision not to release the report were because it is “subject to a non-disclosure agreement” and that “disclosure could also prejudice the outcome of any ongoing investigations and proceedings and individuals potentially affected by the outcome of those investigations and proceedings”.

For once I am inclined to agree with TDC that this report should, for the time being, remain secret until due process is completed. However, once due process is completed TDC’s report and the HSE’s report should be published so that people are able to make their own judgement about what many believe to have been institutional incompetence, neglect and falsification which has ruined the lives of a large group of council staff. Senior officers and political bosses at TDC should not try to cover-up the truth about what happened once the legal processes are over.
I only hope that the non-disclosure agreement is not an agreement with any of those managers who might have been in any way responsible for the allowing this terrible situation to have happened. If the investigations reveal any personal culpability then those responsible should be named and shamed and, if they broke the law, prosecuted. There must be no secret deals which might let people evade responsibility for ruining other peoples lives.
A nondisclosure agreement would not be signed knowing foi is in place. Who are the councillors and officials involved in this issue?
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