By e-mail: Ashraaf Haque <request-430185-
Office of the University Secretary
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx>
4 West
University of Bath
Claverton Down
Bath
BA2 7AY
3 October 2017
Dear Ashraaf
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 2000 – 2017/243
Your request was received on 7 September 2017 and handled under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act, 2000. It is copied below for your reference, with numbering added.
“Dear University of Bath,
1. What IT Research providers are you using for your IT Services department, Academic
Staff and Students? (research access through electronic for computing
students/information technology)
2. Do you have a subscription with Gartner?
3. How much do you pay annually for this subscription?
4. When does this subscription end?
5. Who makes the decision to acquire, is it Library or IT Services?
6.
Who can I contact to speak about providing technology based research?”
Section 1(1) usually entitles you to be told whether the requested information is held and have
that information provided to you unless it is judged to be exempt from disclosure. We hold
information to answer your request as follows:
1. Gartner.
2. Yes.
3. We are withholding this information in accordance with the section 43(2) exemption
under the FOIA. Please see below for further details.
4. 31 December 2018.
5. IT Services.
6. You can write to the Director of Computing Services, University of Bath, Claverton Down,
Bath BA2 7AY.
Section 43(2) exemption:
We are not able to provide the information you have requested as it is exempt from disclosure
under this section of the FOIA, which applies when disclosure would, or would be likely to
prejudice the commercial interests of any person, including the public authority holding it
The University notes that disclosure under the FOIA must be considered as disclosure to the
public at large. Releasing this information would show the price paid by the University of Bath for
its non-standard subscription, and might, taken with other information otherwise known or in the
public domain, give an indication of the University’s strategy for future years. This could damage
the University’s interests and potentially enable businesses, individuals and other Higher
Education Institutions to make commercial use of the information provided.
Section 43(2) is a qualified exemption subject to the application of a public interest test. The
University acknowledges that there is a general public interest in transparency concerning the
running of universities and other Higher Education Institutions, for example to demonstrate that
funds are being spent effectively and that the University is achieving value for money, and in
relation to its students. However, the University has concluded that the public interest factors in
favour of disclosure are limited in this case and significantly outweighed by the harm to its
commercial interests that would be likely to result from disclosure of this information. The public
interest thus weighs in favour of maintaining the exemption in this instance.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of how your request was handled you may ask the
University to conduct an internal review. A request for an internal review must be submitted
within 40 working days of receipt by you of this response. Requests received outside this period
will only be considered at the University's discretion and where there is a valid reason to do so.
Applications for internal review should be addressed in writing to: The University Secretary,
University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY or e-mail
x.x.x.xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xx.xx. If you remain dissatisfied you may appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office at Wycliffe
House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. Further details of this process are available
via the following link:
https://ico.org.uk/concerns/getting/ Please note that the Information
Commissioner will only consider appeals once the internal review process has been completed.
Yours sincerely
John Evans
Freedom of Information Officer