FOI request (FOIR-638903387)

Banking and Insurance

Requested Thu 15 August 2024
Responded Wed 11 September 2024

I am writing to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to request the following information:

1. The names of all banking providers that this institution has used in the past two financial years (1st April 2022 - 1st April 2024).

2. The services that were used from the above banking providers in the past two financial years (1st April 2022 - 1st April 2024).

Banking provider refers to an institution that deals in money and its substitutes which provides money-related services including but not limited to accepting deposits, making loans, and providing credit card services.

3. The name of the insurance company or companies that currently provide your institution with the following types of insurance coverage:

a. Employers' liability insurance

b. Public liability insurance

c. Professional indemnity insurance

d. Officials' Indemnity

e. Business Interruption

f. Property Owners

g. Personal Accident

h. Casualty

i. Motor/Vehicle

j. Fine Art

k. Property

l. Event

m. Travel

n. Crime

o. Terrorism

p. Excess Liability

4. Any other type of insurance not listed above. Please provide the name of the company together with the type of the insurance cover.

5. The start and end dates of the current insurance contract(s) for each type of insurance coverage listed above.

Response

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested 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 organisation's 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.