Mr Parnell had written and written over the preceding decade without any outcome. Smith just suggests he keeps writing, and to pointless Andrew Stunell too.
11 February 2009 20:31
Dear Councillor Smith
The local MP is Andrew Stunell, ’nuff said,
chocolate teapot. Mr. Parnell waited all day in the Greater Manchester Police
Headquarters to see the Chief Constable (but it might have been the dead one)
without success. He has written too, as far as I am aware.
It may not be a satisfactory state of affairs that
organisations funded by the LA don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them, but
it would appear to be the case.
I don’t think Mike button-holes people – he may do
to councillors or council officials but they are paid to serve. I don’t think he
does it to members of the public anyway. He just wanted some support with
regards to counselling for his troubled daughters. Because of a foul-up on
behalf of SMBC they are not registered anywhere. I know how troubled teenagers
can be a handful and how a small amount of intervention can help – and his
daughters suffered a lot at the hands of their birth parents and the
authorities. It wasn’t much to ask for over a decade ago, was it? Especially
as in taking two troubled children, he must have saved SMBC a fortune as they
would have otherwise been in care.
Did you read the letter from the parent of the
disabled child in the Express – yet another one. They Council doesn’t
listen.
Next time I see Mike I will ask him to write to you
and to keep it simple. Many thanks for your offer of an ear, at
least.
With regards to my financial question I have been
asking for a year, which Tiddles promised me an answer to at the Dec 4th full
council meeting and again on 5th Feb. I have just got yet another slapped legs
letter from Barry Khan refusing to answer. Oh well, off I go again to the
Information Commission. I usually win, but the IC are so busy it will probably
take another year before they are forced to own up to the dodgy goings on
regarding several millions of pounds.
Kind regards
Sheila
—– Original Message —–
From: Cllr Ann Smith
To: Sheila Oliver
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:26
PM
Subject: RE: Mr Parnell
Dear Sheila
I have to say that I am more than a little
surprised that the Ombudsman has not responded with a judgement. I assume Mr
Parnell has pursued this with the Ombudsman. If he is not satisfied with the
service then he really needs to approach his MP.
The local CAB would be astonished to
hear that because a proportion of their funding may come from the Local
Authority, this would prevent them from giving clear, unbiased and objective
advice and the same goes for the police. I don’t know how we would manage to
have a local police force or a thriving voluntary sector if there was no public
funding. Where on earth is funding supposed to come from? If Mr Parnell wants to
speak to a police officer then he should try making an appointment rather than
buttonholing them on the way out of a meeting. Mr Parnell does that a lot and
while it doesn’t necessarily bother me, it may bother others. Much better to
write to individuals if there is a problem.
I have asked a few questions about the problems of
Mr Parnell and have not gleaned much information. I was told that there was a
problem with him claiming some benefits because he was a foster parent and
thus, was above the income threshold for whatever benefit it was. If this is so
then this is another problem for an MP. The local council don’t make the rules
about welfare benefits, just try to administer some of them and if someone is
refused benefit there is an appeal process. Welfare Rights presumably have
advised Mr Parnell of his rights.
If he wants to write to me telling me simply and
briefly what his problem is then I may have a clue as to where I may be able to
refer him. I cannot however make any promises. I know that people have tried to
provide assistance and have failed.
On the whole, I have always found the Council to
be very anxious to listen to people’s complaints and to be supportive and
conciliatory. I am surprised that this matter continues to go on and on whatever
it may be.
Ann Smith
