I.t suppliers/costs

Dear Mr Connely ,

Thank you for your enquiry of 16 February 2010 under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000, gives you the right to:
• know whether we hold the information you require
• be provided with that information

You asked for a list of suppliers/contractors and consultants which have been used by The National Archives over the past year when procuring information technology hardware and the total spend on this hardware during the past financial year. You also asked for full details of the person(s) who conducts the information technology purchasing.

I can inform you that all I.T. hardware procurement at The National Archives is done in accordance with the cross-government purchasing framework, Buying Solutions. This aims to ensure that government has a co-ordinated central process for such purchasing, thereby achieving the best value for money. Via this system we have purchased items from the following companies - Computacenter, European Electronique, and Specialist Computer Centers (SCC). The total spend in the last financial year was £1,232,907.

Unfortunately, some of the information you have requested is covered by section 40 (personal data) of the Freedom of Information Act. The provision of this information to yourself would contravene the first data protection principle of the Data Protection Act, in that personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully. Release of names and contact details of junior members of staff involved in procurement of I.T. hardware, who have not given express permission, would be deemed to be unfair as there is no expectation that it would be released. Additionally, further processing to attribute names to opinions or actions would be seen to breach the first Data Protection Principle, in that it would be neither fair nor meet a Schedule 2 condition. As such the names and contact details of junior members of staff are not being provided to you. However, should you wish to engage with The National Archives on the topic of procurement please note that there are a number of ways in which you can contact us. Details of how you can contact us on line, by post and by phone can be found at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our response to your request for information and/or wish to appeal against information being withheld from you please send full details within two calendar months of the date of this letter to:
The Quality Manager
Public Services Development Unit
The National Archives
Kew, Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU

You have the right to ask the Information Commissioner (ICO) to investigate any aspect of your complaint. Please note that the ICO is likely to expect internal complaints procedures to have been exhausted before beginning his investigation.

Kind regards

Yudit Collard Treml
Freedom of Information Centre
Information Policy and Services Directorate
The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU

If you would like to contact us again regarding
this request, please contact the helpdesk:

via e-mail: By replying to this e-mail
or (020 8876 3444)
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