Equipment

The request was successful.

Dear Distance Lab Limited,

Please provide details of all equipment purchased by the lab since its set-up under £5,000/item

Please provide an itemised list by type of equipment, dates of purchase, state of utilisation of equipment to date (i.e. is it being used and by whom?) and alleged purpose for purchase in each case.

Please also specify whether ownership of any piece of equipment purchased by the lab has been transfered to any former employee of the lab (knowingly or not)/

Last, please also specify whether permissions to use equipment purchased by the lab has been granted to former employees after they terminated their employment with the lab.

Yours faithfully,

Karm Holmes

Paula Nichols, Distance Lab Limited

Dear Karm,

Thank you for your requests received on 5th July 2010.

Distance Lab Ltd is processing your request for information in accordance
with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. We will aim to respond as
quickly as possible but in any event within 20 working days from the date
the enquiry was received.

In the meantime, should you have any queries please do not hesitate to get
in contact.

Kind regards,

Paula Nichols

Distance Lab

Paula Nichols, Distance Lab Limited

Dear Karm,

In reply to your request for information, received on 5th July 2010,
Distance Lab Ltd has produced the summary above. We have provided
details on the purpose of the purchased equipment where we hold
recorded information on the matter

I trust the summary answers your questions, but should you wish to
request any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), you have
the right to request a review of the decision or any aspect of the
process with which you are dissatisfied. Should you wish to exercise
that right, you will need to contact us within 40 working days of
receipt of this email. If you remain dissatisfied on completion of
the review, you have the right to appeal to the Office of the Scottish
Information Commissioner.

Kind regards,

Paula Nichols
Administrative Coordinator
Tel: 01309 678123
[mobile number]

distance lab
Horizon Scotland
The Enterprise Park
Forres IV36 2AB
Scotland
www.distancelab.org

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Dear Paula Nichols,

thank you for your message. Unfortunately, I could not see any "summary above". Neither on this, nor the other your response.

Could you kindly check whether maybe this has gone lost during the submission procedure?

Many thanks for your cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Karm Holmes

Paula Nichols, Distance Lab Limited

1 Attachment

Dear Karm,

Please find attached the summary requested.

Kind regards
Paula

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Dear Paula Nichols,

thank you for the information provided. As some of the information is unclear, I was wondering if you could specify:

- where the piece of equipment has been sold to former employees, would you mind specify the selling price and also let us know whether the sale took place according to public sector rules and regulation?

- where the use of the piece of equipment is indicated as "not known" would you mind informing the public as to whether an internal investigation has been initiated to investigate the rationale for buying such piece of equipment?

- As suspected, there are an awful lot of Apple gizmos (i Phones, laptop, iPads, etc.): can you let us know whether the DL or HIE has ever questioned the rationale for buying so many laptops and phones and whether you have a record of three quotes per piece of equipment by third party suppliers?

- Some equipment has been bought for use by Lost Value, and it has also been loaned to Lost Value. As far as I know, this is a private company and I wonder whether you could let the public know how this does not represent a breach into allocation of public funding to private companies?

Many thanks for your help

Yours sincerely,

Karm Holmes

Distance Lab Limited

1 Attachment

Dear Karm Holmes,

In reply to your email, received on04 August 2010, Distance Lab Ltd has
responded to your request for information below.

Where the piece of equipment has been sold to former employees, would you
mind specifying the selling price and also let us know whether the sale
took place according to public sector rules and regulations?

As requested, please find attached details on selling prices. In line
with public sector guidance, Distance Lab Ltd ensured that equipment
surplus to requirements was disposed of as soon as possible and the final
prices were set after taking into consideration value for money and the
market value of the equipment.

Where the use of the piece of equipment is indicated as “not known” would
you mind informing the public as to whether an internal investigation has
been initiated to investigate the rationale for buying such piece of
equipment?

Distance Lab Ltd holds no recorded information relevant to this request.
We are, however, confident that all purchases would have been based on a
valid need for either research or operational efficiency.

Can you let me know whether DL or HIE has ever questioned the rationale
for buying so many laptops and phones and whether you have a record of
three quotes per piece of equipment by third party suppliers?

Distance Lab Ltd holds no recorded information relevant to this request.
Please note that multiple quotes are not mandatory for purchases under
£10,000.

Some equipment has been bought for use by Lost Value, and it has also been
loaned to Lost Value. As far as I know, this is a private company and I
wonder whether you could let the public know how this does not represent a
breach into allocation of public funding to private companies?

In respect of equipment loaned to Lost Value, a formal loan agreement is
in place, at the end of which the equipment will be returned. We can
confirm that no equipment was purchased directly for the company, ‘Lost
Values’. No funding has been allocated to this private company, and a
breach as described above does not therefore exist.

I trust you will find this information of use, but should you wish to
request any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), you have the
right to request a review of the decision or any aspect of the process
with which you are dissatisfied. Should you wish to exercise that right,
you will need to contact us within 40 working days of receipt of this
email. If you remain dissatisfied on completion of the review, you have
the right to appeal to the Office of the Scottish Information
Commissioner, who can be contacted by
email:[email address].

Kind regards,

Distance Lab Ltd