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Paisley Campus
Paisley
PA1 2BE
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Tel 0141 848 3000
Our ref: F21/021
18th February 2021
Dear Harrison Bott
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Your request for information has been considered and our response is below. You
requested the following information:
i. Al of the information submitted to the Scottish Funding Council on 18/01/2021 in
response to the Call For Information, reference “SFC/CI/01/2021” , outlined in the
following:
http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/callsforinformation_sfcci012021/Updated_estimates_
of_non-EU_international_student_fee_income_AY_2020-21.pdf
We believe that the release of this information in relation to the financial
information submitted to SFC would be detrimental to our commercial interests
and is therefore exempt under Section 33(1)(b) Commercial Interests and the
Economy. We are operating in a competitive market in direct competition with
other educational institutions. Release of information relating to future
forecasting of finances into the public domain would be detrimental to our
commercial interests as it would al ow other educational institutions in direct
competition with us to use this information when determining their financial
business models. Universities operate in a competitive environment for income
including non-regulated income.
This exemption is a qualified one and a public interest test is applicable. The
public interest lies in protecting the commercial and financial interests of the
University in this competitive market by withholding this information.
ii. All of the information submitted to the SFC outlined in the Call For Information,
reference “SFC/CI/01/2021” document under points 2. and 3. (see above for the
website address):
See above response.
“2.Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities provided two main financial 2.returns
to SFC in the course of the year:•Forecasts submit ed at the end of June (outturn
forecast for the current year and forecasts for the following three years). •Annual
accounts submit ed at the end of December (audited financial statements and
supporting reports by institutions’ audit committee, internal and external auditors)”
The text above is a statement, however, we have interpreted your request to
mean you are requesting a copy of the financial returns mentioned.
We believe that the release of this information in relation to the financial
information submitted to SFC would be detrimental to our commercial interests
and is therefore exempt under Section 33(1)(b) Commercial Interests and the
Economy. See ful response i)
As way of assistance the University’s financial statements are published on the
following page of the University’s website: https:/ www.uws.ac.uk/about-
uws/compliance/financial-statements-regulations/
“3. As result of the COVID-19 pandemic, SFC requested institutions to provide
3.additional financial returns, comprising updated forecasts for 2019-20 and 2020-21,
by the end of April and the end of July 2020. These replaced the main 2020 Strategic
Plan Forecast return. Institutions also provided updated financial forecasts at the end
of November 2020”
The text above is a statement, however, we have interpreted your request to
mean you are requesting a copy of the financial returns mentioned.
We believe that the release of this information in relation to the financial
information submitted to SFC would be detrimental to our commercial interests
and is therefore exempt under Section 33(1)(b) Commercial Interests and the
Economy. See ful response i)
If you are not satisfied with the handling of your enquiry you have a right to review
under the Act as laid out in the notices below.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Office
University of the West of Scotland
Notices
1. Right of Review
In the event that you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request for information, you may
require us to review our actions and decisions relating to your request (‘Review Request’).
Your Review Request must be made to us in writing or in other durable form, stating your name
and address for correspondence, specifying the request for information to which your Review
Request relates and the matters that have given rise to your dissatisfaction.
It must be provided to us within 40 working days (which phrase excludes Saturdays, Sundays,
Christmas Day and Scottish Bank Holidays) after the expiry of the period within which we were
obliged under the Act to respond to your request for information.
You may withdraw your Review Request by notice to us in writing at any time.
Assuming your Review Request is not withdrawn, we are required to conduct our review and
respond to you (‘Review Response’) within 20 working days (which phrase excludes
Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day and Scottish Bank Holidays) after the date on which we
received your Review Request. The request for review should be addressed to:
Emma Cuckow, University Solicitor, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley Campus,
Paisley, PA1 2BE Email:
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxx.xx.xx
2. Right of Appeal
In the event that you have not withdrawn your Review Request and we have failed to respond
to you within the proscribed time, or you are dissatisfied with our Review Response, you may
apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether we have dealt with
your request in accordance with the Act (‘Appeal Application’).
Your Appeal Application must be made to the Scottish Information Commissioner in writing or
in other durable form, stating your name and address for correspondence, specifying the
request for information to which your Appeal Application relates and the matters that have given
rise to your dissatisfaction.
It must be provided to the Scottish Information Commissioner within six months after the date
you received our Review Response or, in the event that we did not provide you with a Review
Response within the proscribed time, within six months after the expiry of that period. The
address of the Scottish Information Commissioner is:
Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife,
KY16 9DS Tel 01334 464 610; Fax 01334 464 611; email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxx;
www.itspublicknowledge.info
Document Outline