ATTEMPTS by The Westmorland Gazette to unravel the mystery of why the Lake District National Park Authority's chief officer has gone on sabbatical have been stonewalled.

This newspaper submitted a series of questions under the Freedom of Information Act (listed below) in a bid to throw light on Paul Tiplady's surprise departure last month.

But although the public body replied to the questions within the statutory 20 working days, it side-stepped giving direct answers to the most pressing questions by ducking behind a legal loophole.

Mr Tiplady was sent home from his £70,000 a year post at the helm of the LDNPA on April 19 but despite the public demanding to know the reasons, members and staff at the Authority have remained tight-lipped. Despite the LDNPA's money worries, Mr Tiplady is thought to be on full pay.

Former member Maureen Colquhoun, who recently retired from the LDNPA after eight years, said: "It's about time the National Park Authority stood up to be counted, for the benefit of the local people and local press. The sooner they do that the for democracy in Cumbria."

The FOI Act was brought in at the end of 2000 to eliminate secrecy and make provisions for the disclosure of information held by public authorities. The full list of questions submitted by The Gazette under the FOI Act, along with the LDNPA's replies, is below.

For the full story see The Westmorland Gazette.

What is the expected timespan of Mr Tiplady's sabbatical leave?

It is already in the public domain that Mr Tiplady's leave commenced on April 19, 2006. Any further information on this matter is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information.

Are you expecting him to return to his full time position in the future?

This information is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information.

While he is on sabbatical is Mr Tiplady being paid?

This information is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information.

If so, how much is he being paid and for how long will this continue?

This information is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information.

What was Mr Tiplady's full salary before he went on sabbatical?

Information relating to a specific employee of the Authority is covered by the exemption in Section 40 on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. Details of the Authority's current pay scales are available in accordance with the Authority's publication scheme under Section 19 of the Act and are therefore exempt from the provisions of Section 1 of the Act by virtue of Section 21 of the Act in that it is accessible by other means.

Does the LDNPA have a sabbatical scheme for its employees and if so what are the terms?

The Authority does not have a sabbatical scheme for employees.

Has any other employee at the Authority been granted sabbatical if so, when and who?

The Authority does have the information you request but it is held in an unstructured manual form. It would be administratively burdensome to conduct a complete search of our records. I can find no record of any other employee having been granted a sabbatical since the establishment of the National Park Authority.

Please let me know whether this provisional response is sufficient for your purposes. A full response would entail a manual search of all the Authority's personnel records and I would have to consider whether the Authority would wish to rely on the exemption conferred by Section 12 of the Act (which applies where the work involved in preparing the information would excess 18 man hours).

Sabbatical is usually used for travel or study what is the purpose of Mr Tiplady's sabbatical?

This information is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information.

Who raised the initial question of Mr Tiplady going on sabbatical? If it was not Mr Tiplady himself was he in agreement and why was the decision made?

This information is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information.

Who made the financial decision and when?

This information is covered by the exemption in Section 40 of the Act on the grounds that the information requested comprises information that is covered by the Data Protection Act and disclosure would breach the data protection principles. The Authority neither confirms nor denies that it holds such information