Kent CC has denied pulling out of a peer review with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA). It is understood that the review was due to have taken place last month – at the same time as the Conservative conference in Blackpool – but it was delayed. It is thought that the review was ordered to be put on hold because of concerns that confidential information from the council may be leaked by those conducting the review. But one Kent cabinet member denied there was any impropriety. ‘We are still having a peer review,' said Kent's cabinet member for finance, Cllr Nick Chard. ‘There's nothing going on.' A spokesman for Kent CC said the peer review was going ahead, but he was unable to give an exact date when it was going to take place before The MJ went to press. No-one from the IDeA was available for comment. In 2006/7, the IDeA delivered 491 projects and 108 peer reviews in 239 councils and 47 other organisations. Kent has made protecting sensitive data a key issue. Earlier this month, Kent CC had refused two FoI requests by the Kent Messenger group over its new broadband TV service.
