Council bills for gagging orders tops £2.8m mark

Councils across the West Midlands have spent more than £2.8 million on gagging orders to ensure staff do not discuss their work once their employment has ended.

Some staff received payments of up to £65,000 as part of controversial compromise agreements. The payments were today criticised by the Taxpayers' Alliance, which has claimed that large settlements should not be made behind closed doors.

Figures obtained using the Freedom of Information Act showed that £2,811,833 was spent on payments by seven councils.

Two local authorities refused to release details of their payments. In Wolverhampton, 39 workers received payments totalling £536,535 between January last year and the end of March this year.

Workers in the authority's children and young people department amassed £523,545 in payments, with two members of staff receiving £30,000 each.

Walsall Council spent £523,134 on the payments in 39 different cases, with one staff member from resources raking in £65,336 and another in children's services £45,000. At Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, 15 members of staff received payments totalling £156,442.

Sandwell Council and Staffordshire County Council refused to give details of how much was paid out claiming the request would exceed the cost limit of dealing with a Freedom of Information request.

Meanwhile, at Stafford Borough Council six staff received a total of £53,859. In one case, £18,526 was paid while in others, £15,000, two payments of £8,000 and one of £4,333 were paid to staff in the law and administration, environment and finance departments.

South Staffordshire Council made payments of £31,000 in three cases but refused to give details. Cannock Chase Council refused to give any details of the one case in which a staff member received payment.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council paid out £1,510,863 in agreements.

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Paul Brown said the agreements were always in the best interests of both parties. He said: "They are confidential and restrict both the employer and employee from disclosing reasons for the termination of employment."

Taxpayers' Alliance spokesman Robert Oxley said: "Large settlements shouldn't be made behind closed doors. Taxpayers have a right to know some details and reasons so that they can hold their council to account."