FOI request (FOIR-714449276)

Payment Details and Contact Information

Requested Wed 14 May 2025
Responded Wed 28 May 2025

I am writing to formally request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please provide the following details regarding payments for Business Rates and Council Tax refunds:

1. The sort code and account number from which refunds for Business Rates and Council Tax are paid.

2. The exact wording that appears on payments issued from your bank accounts (e.g., CX190707 BURNLEY BOROUGH CO 40151791206850).

3. The contact telephone number and email address for your Council Tax and Business Rates teams.

4. The contact telephone number and email address for your Accounts Payable/Finance teams.

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Response

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested in respect of questions 1 and 2 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) it is not the council's policy to disclose bank details or name on accounts into the public domain.

b) it is not in the public interest to share this information.

c) this information would only be disclosed to an individual who would be receiving a refund.

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.

3. Email: counciltax@hastings.gov.uk and businessrates@hastings.gov.uk, Tel: 01424 451081

4. Email: accountspayable@hastings.gov.uk, Tel: 01424 451511