FOI request (FOIR-565469092)

Temporary Accommodation

Requested Tue 28 November 2023
Responded Fri 05 January 2024

1. Please could you provide the authority's/council's list of temporary accommodation (TA) suppliers, noting how many properties they provide to you as well as the addresses of these properties and how much the total spend per year with them is for the following financial years:

a. 2019/20

b. 2020/21

c. 2021/22

d. 2022/23

Please note: I use the term suppliers to encompass both Temporary Accommodation providers and contractors.

Response

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information in relation to a list of Temporary Accommodation (TA) suppliers and addresses is exempt under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom Of Information Act 2000 - Health and Safety.

Section 38 allows public authorities to decline a request for information if it will endanger the safety of any individual. Under S38 we are not obliged to confirm or deny if we hold the information you have requested.

Section 38 is also subject to a public interest test where public authorities have to consider if disclosing information is outweighed in cases where the health and safety of an individual or a group of individuals is put at risk.

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

a) Transparency and accountability.

We consider these factors to be generally of limited or no 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) The safety of any individual.

b) Information, which if disclosed, could predictably be used to or would otherwise harm the safety of a vulnerable individual or a group of individuals.

c) The safety of these individuals is paramount.

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.

Please find attached, a spreadsheet containing the amount spent.

Attachments

• FOIR-565469092_FOIR-565469092_1-FOIR-565469092_-_information.xlsx