David Johnson
By email
15 December 2008
Dear Mr Johnson
Freedom of Information requests
Dear Mr Johnson
Your requests for information were made to and received by the Learning and
Skills Council (LSC) on 15 November. The requests were about a contract
between the LSC and Liberata, which, as you may be aware, was terminated on
28 November.
You have made requests for the following information:
1.
the sanctions that are contractually available to the LSC for
Liberata's failures with the EMA payment system.
The LSC does hold information requested and is currently considering the public
interest in disclosing the information or withholding it under section 43(2)
(commercial interests) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Council
Solicitor advises that she considers the LSC should be in a position to provide you
with a full response in relation to this request by 7 January. The LSC will write to
you again as soon as it has reached a decision and by 7 January.
2. the sanctions that the LSC is considering, or that the LSC have
enforced, for Liberata's failures with the EMA payment system
As explained by Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, in a
Written Ministerial Statement on 25 November:
Learning and Skills Council
Cheylesmore House Quinton Road Coventry CV1 2WT
T 0845 019 4170
F 024 7682 3675
www.lsc.gov.uk
“
The migration of the learner support service programme contract from Liberata
will have resulted in Liberata losing future revenues of more than £60 million over
the remaining term of the contract. In addition, in addressing the issues caused by
the failure of their proposed IT system, Liberata rightly took the decision to employ
significant numbers of additional temporary staff to deal with the backlog in
applications. In doing so, it has incurred extraordinary additional costs and it has
been judged inappropriate to impose further additional penalties.â€
By way of further assistance, the Ministerial Statement is published in Hansard
and is currently accessible through the following website link:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-
bin/newhtml_hl?DB=semukparl&STEMMER=en&WORDS=knight%20liberata&AL
L=knight%20liberata&ANY=&PHRASE=&CATEGORIES=&SIMPLE=&SPEAKER=
&COLOUR=red&STYLE=s&ANCHOR=81125-
wms0001.htm_spmin1&URL=/pa/testlords/ld200708/ldhansrd/text/81125-
wms0001.htm#81125-wms0001.htm_spmin1
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to
quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely
Head of Records and Rights
02476 823762
[email address]
Letter to David Johnson on 15 December 2008
Freedom of Information requests
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