SENIOR management at Bradford Metropolitan District Council were accused of dodging accountability today after deciding not to respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from the media.

The move follows a decision by children and education watchdog Ofsted to appoint a commissioner to oversee improvements in the Labour-run council’s children’s services department after rating it “inadequate” three years ago.

Minutes of a meeting on Thursday of the council’s “leadership team” of senior managers, seen by the Morning Star, state: “FOI requests, had a few contentious ones in the past. We have decided not to respond to press/media moving forward.”

The decision not to respond to FOI requests from the media was criticised today by Bradford People’s Assembly.

Spokesman George Williamson said: “It is very concerning that Bradford Council would think it is sensible to no longer respond to FOI requests from the media, which is potentially unlawful.

“We have been highlighting the mismanagement of Bradford Council for a few years now – especially in children’s services which has led to Ofsted having serious concerns three years after the department was judged ‘inadequate.’

“The only reason Bradford Council’s managers would discuss and minute something like this is because of the lack of accountability that exists in the council.

“They want to avoid any scrutiny of failings within the council and to prevent exposure of failings as a result of managerial decisions in children’s services. 

“The question is, what else are they trying to hide?”

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “The council has always and will always respond to FOI requests from the public and media.

“The extract is a misinterpretation of discussions at a team meeting in one department about a change in process to ensure the appropriate  level of accuracy in responses. 

“The work of this team has been wrongly criticised in the past when they’ve responded to an ambiguous question from a journalist, rather than check what is required first. The work of the team is then subsequently misrepresented.

“The team manager wants to review media queries to this team to make sure responses are unambiguous and do not lead to misinterpretation in future.”