Licensing Unit Telephone: +44 (0)161 234 4962 Email: [email protected] [email protected] P O Box 271, Manchester M18 8YU

Date: 25 July 2011

Dear Mr Reid

Re: - Request for Information –Complaints against the Licensing Unit [ENV/8J9EXS]

Thank you for your request for information, which was received by Manchester City Council on 28 June 2011 and has been considered under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In your request you asked:

How many complaints were received about the Licensing Unit, its staff, its procedures and its fees charged for year end April 2011.

The following information is provided in relation to your request

Complaints about staff

o A complaint was received from a licensed driver who was unhappy about a licensing officer contacting him outside of office hours

Complaints about procedures

o A complaint was received from yourself in relation to the testing of private hire meters. o A complaint was made to the Local Government Ombudsman regarding the Councils policy not to allow persons previously allocated a “ free plate” to enter the random selection process used to allocate hackney carriage proprietors’ licences o A complaint was received from an interested party regarding the procedure at a Licensing Sub Committee meeting ( Licensed premises) o A complaint was received from a licensed driver regarding the emission kit policy for hackney carriage vehicles o A complaint was received regarding a delay in processing a new driver application o A complaint was received regarding a Licensing and Appeals Sub Committee decision in relation to hackney carriage driver application o A complaint was received regarding the processing of a private hire drivers licence o A complaint was received regarding an item of correspondence being sent to an incorrect address

Complaints about fees

o A complaint was received following a request for information in relation to the licensing budget, o A complaint was received in relation to fees associated with licensed sex establishments

General complaints

o Three complaints were received regarding historical allocations of hackney carriage proprietors o A letter was received in respect of suggestions as to how to achieve the 2000 job cuts from the City Council, o A complaint was received regarding the Council’s investigations into complaints about buskers o A Complaint was received regarding the service provided at 1 First St

Please note if you are not satisfied with this response you may ask for an internal review. If you wish to complain you should contact me in the first instance.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Jenette Hicks Licensing Unit Manager