Description (as provided by our source)
1. Yes - this information was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and published for a time at www.britishwaterwaysfitforpurpose.blogspot.com - the site has been taken taken down due to threat of copyright and libel action
2. British Waterways is a UK public corporation and part of DEFRA and is responsible for 2000 miles of inland waterways including the third largest collection of listed buildings and property in the country (behind The National Trust and Church of England). However, unlike the National Trust, British Waterways directors pay themselves large large salaries which ,including bonuses, which are disproportionate to responsibilities. For example, BW's Chief Executive for the year 2007/8 received 284,041 pounds (including a bonus of 61,500). His counterpart in the National Trust who has more responsibility earned just 175,000 and the Prime Minister 194,250.
The file shows that the targets that BW sets themselves are not challenging or measurable. It also shows a case of a director receiving an incentive to alter the outcome of a public consultation and another receiving an incentive to deal with criticism of its management
3. The main audience is the British Taxpayer who foots the bill via government grant-in-aid and boaters whose costs accross the board have risen significantly above inflation so that BW's directors can enjoy inflated salaries.
4. Allan Richards (allanricha@hotmail.com) can verify that this information was made available to him under the freedom of information act. Sarina Young (sarina.young@britishwaterways.co.uk) should also be able to verify these documents.
5. These documents were leaked because they are in the public interest but British Waterways are attempting to prevent them being made publically available.
6. The event that requires that this information be published urgently is a meeting of BW's remuneration committee in May (exact date unknown). At this meeting bonus payments will be allocated for last years performance and targets set for next year. Subsequent to provision of the information BW has announced that they consider it to be inappropriate that any bonus should be paid for last year performance. However, as they have managed to suppress the FoI information which may have led to that decision it is possible that it will be reversed. Also, the remuneration committee is considering giving directors a 15% pay rise to already inflated salaries.
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