07 March 2023
Your request
I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of Information Act, details in respect to the contract below.
Please would you supply information about Revenues Enforcement Contracts for the collection of unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates, Sundry Debts and Housing Benefit Overpayments.
The details we require are:
* What Revenues Enforcement Contracts do you currently have in the market?
* Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were successful & not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages
* Actual spend on these contracts and frameworks(and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the current date
* Start date & duration of framework/contract(s)?
* Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when these contract(s) were last advertised?
* Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so, the duration of the extension?
* Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being either extended or renewed?
* Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?
Our response
Council tax and business rates
* What Revenues Enforcement Contracts do you currently have in the market?
Council Tax and Business rates enforcement is undertaken as part of Lambeth’s Revenues collection contract with Capita using their subsidiary Equita. We do not have separate contracts for enforcement.
* Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were successful & not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages N/A –
We have not separately contracted enforcement activity.
* Actual spend on these contracts and frameworks(and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the current date.
N/A not defined in contract price.
* Start date & duration of framework/contract(s)?
Revenue collection contract began 01/12/2011 and ands 31/11/2026
* Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when these contract(s) were last advertised?
N/A – enforcement services not separately contracted.
* Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so, the duration of the extension?
No
* Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being either extended or renewed?
There is no option to further extend the contract.
* Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?
Lambeth Council can provide details at the Strategic Level only; this information is available on the Lambeth website below.
How Lambeth Council is organised | Lambeth Council
Therefore, I can confirm that we have reviewed this part of your request and consider disclosure would breach the Data Protection Act 2018 and therefore engage Section 40(2): Personal Data to this request.
The definition of personal data is set out in provision 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018 as follows:-
(2)“Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual
(3)“Identifiable living individual” means a living individual who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to—
(a)an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data or an online identifier, or
(b)one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of the individual.
We note this request asks for information which would allow an individual(s) to be identified.
I have considered whether it would be fair to disclose the information including whether disclosure would cause any unnecessary or unjustified damage or distress to the individual concerned; the individual’s reasonable expectations of what would happen to their information; and balancing the rights and freedoms of the data subject with legitimate interests.
In this case, I can confirm that it would not be fair to the individuals to disclose information about their names and emails as it could cause distress to the individuals.
I do not consider that the individuals would expect the Council to disclose any information which may allow them to be identified. Although I acknowledge the legitimate interest in disclosing general information relating to this request, I do not consider the legitimate interest overrides the rights and freedoms of the individual on this occasion.
In accordance with Section 17 FOIA this letter represents a Refusal Notice for this part of the request
Sundry debts and Housing Benefit overpayments
* What Revenues Enforcement Contracts do you currently have in the market?
We don’t have Revenues Enforcement contracts with suppliers for sundry debts and Housing Benefit overpayments.
Therefore, the remaining questions are not applicable.