Dear Mr Brad

Request for Information RFI-5646-22 Re: Sexual Health Services

In order for your request to be valid under Section 8(1)(b)of the Freedom
of Information Act, the legislation states that you must provide enough of
a real name to give anyone reading the request a reasonable indication of
your identity.

I note that you have not provided your full name. Please see the following
guidance regarding this;

[1]https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...

However, to avoid any delays, I have logged your request under the name
Mr Brad (as that is your name in your email, and we can use that to
identify any correspondence from you).

If you want to provide your full name/ surname, I will update your record.

I just wanted to make you aware that when submitting an FOI without a full
name, it may be rejected. (The link gives examples, if you didnt want to
use your real name).

Please see below for your acknowledgement

Thank you for your request for information relating to Sexual Health
Services which was received on 13 December 2022.

In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
the council will respond to your request within 20 working days, saying
whether we have the information that you want, and if there will be any
charges. 

If, for any reason, we cannot provide you with the information, we will
tell you why.

If we need to clarify your request, we will contact you again.

In the meantime, if you need to contact me about your request, please do
so quoting the above reference number.

Yours sincerely,

Naiyar Sultana

Assistant Assurance Officer

Walsall Council 

0800 0856018

[2]www.walsall.gov.uk 

[3]Walsall Council, Proud of our past, our present and for our future 

Disclaimer: The information in this message should be regarded as
confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly
stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and
the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and
not necessarily those of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Emails
sent or received from Walsall Council may the subject of a request under
data protection, freedom of information or environmental information
legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. We strongly
advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated
third parties would be likely to cause harm or distress. If you have an
enquiry related to your confidentiality or data protection, please visit
the council data protection pages on our website

References

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2. https://www.walsall.gov.uk/

Dear Brad

We are currently processing your FOI, however can you please provide us
with your full name.

Many thanks

Anne Perks

Assurance Officer

From: Brad
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2022 4:56 PM
To: InformationRights
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Sexual Health Services

[You don't often get email from
[FOI #928791 email]. Learn why this is important at
[1]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

CAUTION: STOP and THINK - This email originated from outside of the
council. If it looks suspicious it probably is and you should NEVER enter
your council username and password into an external link or open
attachments.

Dear Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council FOI Team,

I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of
Information Act, details in respect to the contract below.

Sexual Health Services:

https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

The details we require are:

• What are the contractual performance KPI's for this contract?

• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each contract and were successful
& not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages

• Actual spend on this contract (and any sub lots), from the start of the
contract to the current date

• Start date & duration of contract?

• Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification
given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?

• Is there an extension clause in the contract and, if so, the duration of
the extension?

• Has a decision been made yet on whether the contract is being either
extended or renewed?

• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this
contract?

Thank you for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Brad

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Dear Mr Moore

Request for Information RFI-5646-22 Re: Sexual Health Services

Thank you for your request for information relating to Sexual Health
Services which was received on 13 December 2022.

In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
the council will respond to your request within 20 working days, saying
whether we have the information that you want, and if there will be any
charges. 

If, for any reason, we cannot provide you with the information, we will
tell you why.

If we need to clarify your request, we will contact you again.

In the meantime, if you need to contact me about your request, please do
so quoting the above reference number.

Yours sincerely,

Anne Perks

Assurance Officer

Walsall Council 

0800 0856018

[1]www.walsall.gov.uk 

[2]Walsall Council, Proud of our past, our present and for our future 

Disclaimer: The information in this message should be regarded as
confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly
stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and
the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and
not necessarily those of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Emails
sent or received from Walsall Council may the subject of a request under
data protection, freedom of information or environmental information
legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. We strongly
advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated
third parties would be likely to cause harm or distress. If you have an
enquiry related to your confidentiality or data protection, please visit
the council data protection pages on our website

References

Visible links
1. https://www.walsall.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Moore,

Re: Freedom of Information Request RFI-5646-22 Contract Sexual Health
services, in which you requested the following:

• What are the contractual performance KPI's for this contract?

• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each contract and were successful
& not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages

• Actual spend on this contract (and any sub lots), from the start of the
contract to the current date

• Start date & duration of contract?

• Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification
given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?

• Is there an extension clause in the contract and, if so, the duration of
the extension?

• Has a decision been made yet on whether the contract is being either
extended or renewed?

• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this
contract?

In regard to providing an actual spend on sub lots within the contract, we
are unable to provide this information as it is exempt under S43(2) of the
Freedom of Information Act.

Section 43(2) of the Act sets out an exemption from the right to know if
release of the information is likely to prejudice the commercial interests
of any person (a person may be an individual, a company, the public
authority itself or any other legal entity).

In this case, releasing an actual spend on sub lots within the contract
would likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the local authority.

Section 43 is a qualified exemption, it is therefore subject to the public
interest test. That means we are also obliged to consider whether the
‘public interest’ in withholding the information outweighs the ‘public
interest’ in disclosing it.

Consideration of Public Interest Test 

Arguments in favour of disclosure of the actual spend on sub lots
within the contract:

Release of the Actual spend on sub lots within the contract, would be of
public interest in terms of financial openness.

It would correspond with a policy of accountability and transparency
in giving insight in the public’s interest in how the council
operates and how it spends public funds.

Arguments in favour of withholding the information:

There is a public interest in allowing public authorities to withhold
information relating to an actual spend on sub lots within the contract,
awarded following negotiations, which if disclosed, would reduce its
ability to negotiate in such an environment and potentially contribute to
higher costs to the public purse in the future. 

Publication of this information would be likely to put the local authority
at a disadvantage in its negotiations with providers of sexual health
services – both in terms of existing providers and any potential new
providers.

Taking into account the considerations set out above, it is my
view that, on balance, the public interest in maintaining the
exemption for releasing an actual spend on sub lots within the contract,
outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

However we are able to provide the following information.

• What are the contractual performance KPI's for this contract? 

I can tell you that under the FOI Act the information is exempt from
disclosure under the provisions of section 21. Section 21 sets out that
the local authority need not provide information under the FOI Act where
the information requested is ‘reasonably accessible’ by other means.
 Please see the following link.

The KPIs are in line with the national service specifications for
integrated sexual health services

[1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...

• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each contract and were successful
& not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages 

One solitary supplier applied for the contract

Successful supplier - Walsall Healthcare Trust   

• Actual spend on this contract, from the start of the contract to the
current date

2016/17 £1,852,167

2017/18 £2,222,400

2018/19 £2,222,400

• Start date & duration of contract?

1 June 2016 until 31 March 2019

(With an option to extend annually until 31 March 2021)

Further extension March 2023 – due to the Pandemic 

• Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification
given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?

Please see ITT document attached 

• Is there an extension clause in the contract and, if so, the duration of
the extension?

Yes - contract 3 +1 +1

• Has a decision been made yet on whether the contract is being either
extended or renewed?

Yes

• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this
contract?

Stephen Gunther - Director of Public Health, Policy & Strategy and
Business Insights

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information Act 2000 requests will be subject to copyright protection.  In
most cases the copyright will be owned by Walsall Council. The copyright
in respect of other information may be owned by another person or
organisation, as indicated.

You are free to use any information supplied to you in response to this
request for your own non-commercial research or private study purposes.
The information may also be used for any other purpose allowed by a
limitation or exception in copyright law, such as news reporting.
 However, any other type of re-use, for example by publishing the
information in analogue or digital form, including on the internet, will
require the permission of the copyright owner.

I hope that the information provided is useful to you. However, if you are
dissatisfied, you should set out in writing your grounds for complaint and
send to: Corporate Assurance Manager, Resources & Transformation, Civic
Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1TP.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a decision.
Please remember that, generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you
have first exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the council. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF. [2]https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Yours sincerely,

Anne Perks

Assurance Officer

Walsall Council 

0800 0856018

[3]www.walsall.gov.uk 

[4]Walsall Council, Proud of our past, our present and for our future 

Disclaimer: The information in this message should be regarded as
confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly
stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and
the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and
not necessarily those of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Emails
sent or received from Walsall Council may the subject of a request under
data protection, freedom of information or environmental information
legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. We strongly
advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated
third parties would be likely to cause harm or distress. If you have an
enquiry related to your confidentiality or data protection, please visit
the council data protection pages on our website

References

Visible links
1. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...
2. https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
3. https://www.walsall.gov.uk/