Legal Case Management System

The request was successful.

Jeremy Bartlett

Dear Harrogate Borough Council,

Please answer the following questions:

1. Do you have a legal services team?
2. Do you use a Case Management system within your Legal Services team?
3. If so, how many staff are licenced to use this?
4. What is the name of the product?
5. Who is the supplier?
6. What is the start date of your contract?
7. How long is your contract term?
8. How much did you pay for the system?
9. How much do you pay for the annual support?

Yours faithfully,

Jeremy Bartlett

Steve Pilling, Harrogate Borough Council

Dear Jeremy

 

Thank you for your email dated 26/06/2013 requesting information under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please find below Harrogate Borough
Council’s response:

 

1.       Yes

2.       Yes

3.       12

4.       Iken

5.       Iken Business Ltd

6.       2003

7.       Termination on notice

8 & 9. Section 43(2) of the FOI Act states that information is exempt if
its disclosure is likely to prejudice the commercial interest of any
person.

Guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (‘ICO’) states
that 'commercial interest relates to a person's ability to participate
competitively in a commercial activity, i.e. the purchase and sale of
goods and services'. The information requested in questions 8 and 9 is
information relating to Iken's pricing, which when taken together with the
information requested under question 3 (the number of licensed users)
would provide a competitor with detailed information about our pricing
structures. Disclosure of financial information is likely to provide the
recipient of that information with an unfair advantage when bidding for
future contracts.

It is in the public interest for such information to be withheld in order
to ensure fair competition during future procurement processes. ICO
guidance confirms that there is a public interest in ensuring that
companies are able to compete fairly and that there is competition for
public sector contracts. We draw your attention to decision notice
[1]FS50465037, decided by the ICO on 7 February 2013. In this case, the
Commissioner upheld a local authority's judgment that disclosing details
of the rates paid by the authority to a provider of services was exempt on
the basis that it was commercially sensitive information capable of
prejudicing a third party. In particular, disclosure of pricing
information was likely to lead to future bidders duplicating costing
elements of bids which would make it difficult for the relevant authority
to differentiate between bids and would distract from service quality
evaluation.

In addition, section 41 of the Act sets out an exemption to disclosure of
information that is provided to a local authority in confidence. This
pricing information is not in the public domain and it is significant
information which was provided to the Council in confidence. Disclosure of
the information may result in an actionable breach of confidence against
the authority and therefore the section 41 exemption is also engaged.

 

We hope you are happy with our service.  But if you are not satisfied with
the way your request has been handled, please contact -  

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Council Offices, Crescent Gardens, Harrogate, HG1 2SG  

 

or email [2][Harrogate Borough Council request email]

 

The Council has an internal appeal system.  If your complaint is about the
decision which has been made you will usually be entitled to have your
case reviewed by an officer from a department which has not been involved
in the decision previously.   

 

If, after their decision, you are still not happy, you may appeal to-  

 

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545745

Fax: 01625 524510

e-mail: [3][email address]

website: [4]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

 

Regards

 

Rich Kemp

for Solicitor to the Council

Harrogate Borough Council

Council Offices

Crescent Gardens

Harrogate

HG1 2SG

 

Tel: 01423 556148

Fax: 01423 556010

Email: [5][email address]

Website: [6]www.harrogate.gov.uk

 

Document: 031397/171503

 

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