FOI request (FOIR-541514530)

Housing Software

Requested Wed 23 August 2023
Responded Mon 18 September 2023

I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of Information Act, details in respect to the council's procured Housing software.

The details we require are:

1a. Who is the incumbent supplier for the provision of the council's Housing Register software?

1b. Start date and duration of the contract?

1c. Has a decision been made as to whether the existing contract will be renewed/extended?

1d. What has been the average annual spend to date for the council's current Housing Register software?

1e. Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?

1f. Please provide any specification/documentation relating to the last procurement exercise for this contract.

2a. Who is the incumbent supplier for the councils Homelessness Case Management software?

2b. Start date and duration of the contract?

2c. Has a decision been made as to whether the existing contract will be renewed/extended?

2d. What has been the average annual spend to date for the council's current Homelessness Case Management software?

2e. Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?

2f. Please provide any specification/documentation relating to the last procurement exercise for this contract.

Response

1a. Refused - Please see below.

1b. 2 year contract from 1 July 2021 with the option to extend for 2 x 1 year period.

1c. This is not a request for recorded information.

1d. Refused - Please see below.

1e. Chris Hancock, Head of Housing

1f. Refused - Please see below.

2a. Refused - Please see below.

2b. 2 year contract from 1 July 2021 with the option to extend for 2 x 1 year period.

2c. This is not a request for recorded information.

2d. Refused - Please see below.

2e. Chris Hancock, Head of Housing

2f. Refused - Please see below.

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested in relation to 1a, 1d, 1f, 2a, 2d, and 2f 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

c) release of safety and security information could put public safely at risk

d) the EMP is subject to an Non-Disclosure Agreement and cannot be disclosed

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.