FOI request (FOIR-421679221)

Lift Maintenance

Requested Thu 12 May 2022
Responded Mon 27 June 2022

We are carrying out some research and would like to request the following information, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act:

1. How many lifts are managed by the organisation (including all passenger lifts, platform lifts, goods only lifts, dumb waiters. and so on)?

2. Do the lifts have a comprehensive (including maintenance visits, parts and labour included) or basic (maintenance visits only included, all call outs/repairs charged additionally) maintenance contract?

3. How much is the annual maintenance cost per lift (that is, the 'headline' cost on the last tender quote)?

4a. How much in addition to contract (that is, those in question 3) is spent per year (for example, call outs due to misuse and so on)?

4b. How much in addition to contract is spent per annum on major works such as installations and refurbishments?

5. When is the current contract due for renewal?

Response

1. 4

2. Neither of those listed - the lifts are serviced and any parts and/or labour are charged accordingly.

3. Refused.

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 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.

4a. Information not held.

4b. Information not held.

5. This is a rolling contract