with requests under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 as that adopted for dealing with requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests.

8. The scheme has been reviewed and is considered still to be fully relevant in all respects. It is not felt that any new categories of information have arisen which need to be included in the scheme.
9. The Authority received four Freedom of Information requests in 2016/17, all of which were answered within the requisite timescales.

Politically restricted posts

10. The Authority is required, under Section 2 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended), to maintain a list of staff posts defined as politically restricted posts and to review the list annually. Following this year's review, it is not intended to propose any amendments to the list approved by the Authority in June 2010 (Paper No. WRWA 665), which was as follows:
11. (a)Clerk
12. (b)Treasurer
13. (c)General Manager
14. (d)Deputy Treasurer
15. (e)Deputy General Manager
16. (f)Deputy Clerk

Complaints

11. 11. In 2016/2017 the Authority received eleven complaints, all of which were responded to and, if necessary, actioned. These complaints were varied and related to a number of areas, including lack of customer care at the Smugglers Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC), queuing of cars to enter the HWRC, litter on Smugglers Way and poor housekeeping at the Cringle Dock Waste Transfer Station. Whilst all complaints are reviewed with the objective of preventing avoidable recurrence, the figure of eleven is considered acceptable overall in the context of the number of interactions with the public and the nature of the Authority's operations.

RECOMMENDATIONS

12. 12. The Authority is recommended to: