FOI request (FOIR-553858655)

Translation and Interpreting Services

Requested Thu 12 October 2023
Responded Fri 22 December 2023

1. Please confirm your overall spending on Translation and Interpreting Services, for each of the financial years:

a. 2020-2021

b. 2022-2023

2. Please provide a breakdown of languages for the last 12 months.

3. What languages were your suppliers not able to supply in 2022?

4. Which external supplier(s) do you currently use to deliver your interpreting and translation services?

5. Are you able to provide approximate fee per interpreting session for:

a. In-person/face-to-face interpreting

b. Telephone interpreting

c. Video interpreting

6. If you outsource the provision of interpreting services to an external provider, could you please confirm:

a. Whether the provider was contracted via a national framework? If so, which one?

b. When does the current contract expire?

c. Is there is an exclusivity clause, which would prevent the trust from piloting new cost saving interpreting services during the duration of your contract with your existing provider?

7. From which budget within your organisation are interpreting services funded?

8. Where do you advertise your tenders? If you do not do a full tender, which frameworks would you use?

9. What is the start and end date for either the framework or direct contracts you have with interpreting and translation supplier(s)?

10. Please provide the name and email of the contract manager for the service.

11. If we would like to engage in conversation with a member of staff in your organisation to discuss the innovation we propose to develop, who would be the most suitable person to approach?

Response

1a. 2020/21 - £8,563.67

1b. 2022/23 - £19,890.46

2. Information not held.

3. Information not held.

4. Refused, please see below.

5. Refused, please see below.

6. Information not held. There is no contract.

7. Syrian 7 Afghan Resettlement Programmes (external funding used).

8. All tenders are run and administered by the East Sussex County Council Procurement Hub.

9. Not applicable as there is no contract.

10. Not applicable as there is no contract.

11. The outline of a proposal can be emailed to housingadvice@hastings.gov.uk

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested in relation to Q4 and Q5 is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act - Commercially Sensitive Information - Information prejudicing commercial interests - commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the 'public interest test'. When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure.

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define 'in the public interest', there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest.

In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public. Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a) accountability of public spending

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves.

In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a) ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly

b) damage to reputation and/or financial interests

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.