PFI Advisers - Conflict of Interest

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Dear Bradford City Council,

Which companies have advised your local authority on each of its PFI projects and contracts from inception, through procurement, during construction and operation on issues relating to structural, legal, financial, governance, audit and performance review. Please provide that information by each PFI scheme, providing the HMT unique reference number.

Please provide documentation demonstrating how your local authority selected the advisers referred to above? Please provide any internal or external process documents (e.g. from HM Treasury/ Partnerships UK) in relation to the selection, a copy of invitations to tender and tender documents.

Please provide documents demonstrating how your local authority, as part of that selection, ensured that the auditors and lawyers, accountants and business consultants referred to above were not conflicted in any way with any of the organisations involved previously or currently with your PFI project(s). This could include documents, statements and correspondence between the local authority and its auditors relating to any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest.

Please provide all policies/protocols or any other documentation which demonstrate how your local authority continues to ensure that auditors and consultants continue to be free of conflicts of interest.

Yours faithfully,

Megan Ingles

Childrens - FOI, Bradford City Council

Dear Ms Ingles,

 

RE Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI
Act) / Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR)

 

Thank you for your enquiry which was received on 24 May 2017.  This matter
is now receiving our attention and we aim to have a response out to you by
14 June 2017, within the period of 20 working days allowed for disclosure.

 

You will be informed in advance if there is a charge for supplying copies
of the information.  We will also provide an explanation if any
information is not released to you.  If the requested information contains
references to any third parties, we may need to consult with them before
deciding whether or not to release the information.

 

Should you have any queries regarding your request, please feel free to
contact us at [1][Bradford City Council request email] quoting the reference no: FOI-May104.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Caroline Levene

PA to Michael Jameson, Strategic Director

 

Tel: 01274 431266

Margaret McMillan Tower, Prince’s Way, Bradford, BD1 1NN

 

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Department of Children's Services

 

Aiming High for Children

 

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Childrens - FOI, Bradford City Council

3 Attachments

Dear  Ms Ingles

 

I refer to your request dated 18 May 2017 under the Freedom Of Information
Act asking to supply the following information:

 

1.     Which companies have advised your local authority on each of its
PFI projects and contracts from inception, through procurement, during
construction and operation on issues relating to structural, legal,
financial, governance, audit and performance review. Please provide that
information by each PFI scheme, providing the HMT unique reference number.

 

2.     Please provide documentation demonstrating how your local authority
selected the advisers referred to above? Please provide any internal or
external process documents (e.g. from HM Treasury/ Partnerships UK) in
relation to the selection, a copy of invitations to tender and tender
documents.

 

3.     Please provide documents demonstrating how your local authority, as
part of that selection, ensured that the auditors and lawyers, accountants
and business consultants referred to above were not conflicted in any way
with any of the organisations involved previously or currently with your
PFI project(s). This could include documents, statements and
correspondence between the local authority and its auditors relating to
any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest.

 

4.     Please provide all policies/protocols or any other documentation
which demonstrate how your local authority continues to ensure that
auditors and consultants continue to be free of conflicts of interest.

 

The Council’s response is set out below:

 

1.     The Bradford Building Schools for the Future PFI projects have the
following HMT unique reference numbers:

 

Bradford BSF - Phase 1 - 17

BSF Wave 3 Phase 3 – 731

 

Management of this programme and on-going contract management is delivered
by:

 

Bradford Local Education Partnership

1st Floor, Integrated House, Westgate Hill Street, Bradford, BD4 6NG

Tel: 01274 713442

 

The Summary Sheet of companies/advisors involved in the procurement stage
is attached.

 

2.     The opportunities were tendered competitively via the open market
and therefore a compliant process was followed.   The OJEU contract notice
is attached for the Bradford Local Education Partnership.

 

3.     The Authority followed its contract standing orders in respect of
procurement which ensures conflict of interests are dealt with
accordingly.   More detailed communications between the Council and
advisers in relation to the original BSF PFI’s is not now held due to the
time that has elapsed.

 

4.     There are currently no auditors or consultants engaged on the
project.   There is a standard form within our selection/procurement
relating to conflict of interest – see attached.

 

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, if you are not
satisfied with the reply to your request you can ask for a review. A
request for a review must be submitted within 40 working days by
contacting [1][Bradford City Council request email] or by writing Information Governance
Team, Bradford Metropolitan District, 1st Floor, Britannia House, Hall
Ings, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 1HX.

 

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review you
have the right of appeal to the Information Commissioner who can be
contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545700          URL:
[2]http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Judith Kirk

Deputy Director

Education, Employment and Skills

 

Tel: 01274 439255

Margaret McMillan Tower, Prince’s Way, Bradford, BD1 1NN

 

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Department of Children's Services

 

Aiming High for Children

 

This email, and any attachments, may contain Protected or Restricted
information and is intended solely for the individuals to whom it is
addressed. It may contain sensitive or protectively marked material and
should be handled accordingly. If this email has been misdirected, please
notify the author immediately. If you are not the intended recipient you
must not disclose, distribute, copy or print or rely on any of the
information contained in it or attached, and all copies must be deleted
immediately. Whilst we take reasonable steps to try to identify any
software viruses, any attachments to this email may nevertheless contain
viruses which our anti-virus software has failed to identify. You should
therefore carry out your own anti virus checks before opening any
documents. Bradford Council will not accept liability for damage caused by
computer viruses emanating from any attachment or other document supplied
with this email. Emails may be subject to recording and/or monitoring in
accordance with relevant legislation.

 

 

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