DETAILS of bonuses paid to a member of council staff cannot be revealed because the information may invade their privacy, the authority has claimed.

Freedom of Information campaigner Jeremy Ginnerly asked for details on any bonus payouts made by Waltham Forest Council, but it refused to disclose the figures.

According to a correspondence published on the www.whatdotheyknow.com website, the authority claimed such information would breach the Data Protection Act.

Tessa Mapley, of the council's HR department, said that the request for bonus payments listed by employment grade levels might lead to the identification of a member of staff.

She wrote: "While I clearly recognise a strong public interest in favour of openness and transparency by the council, this does not override other considerations...in particular the expectation of privacy by the data subjects and the need to avoid causing damage or distress to individuals in making the disclosure."

Under a "Single Status" employment agreement in 2007, the council said it would no longer make bonus payments to employees.

However the authority's response to Mr Ginnerly's request states "There is one employee for whom the agreement has not yet been implemented and that employee continues to receive a bonus payment."

Mr Ginnerly appealed the council's decision not to disclose further details.

He said he did not require the person's job title, and would be satisfied with information on their level within the council and salary grade.

He said: "As employees funded by the public purse it cannot be fairly stated that there is no expectation of public disclosure."

He added: "I suggest that the individual's rights of privacy, afforded under the Human Rights Act article 8, are outweighed by the Article 10 right to freedom of expression."

A council review published yesterday (Thursday February 9) upheld the decision not to disclose the information as "reasonable and appropriate" but said he can now appeal to the Government's Information Commissioner.

Mr Ginnerly made the same Freedom of Information request to other London councils such as Newham and Enfield, but they said they do not pay bonuses to staff.

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