Our Ref: 6464  

Dear Enquirer,

INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information which will be dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental
Information Regulations 2004.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

If you have any queries about this matter please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Kind regards

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Our Ref: 6464   

Dear Enquirer,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST 

I refer to your Freedom of Information request for details relating to
provision of public health services substance misuse and associated
services.

Right of Access 

Section 1(1) of the Act provides any person making a request for
information to a public authority is entitled. 

(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds
information of the description specified in the request (which Section
1(6) of the Act designates as the "duty to confirm or deny"), and 

(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him. 

The right is to obtain access to the information itself and not to the
document or record which contains it. 

The Act creates a general right of access to information held by public
authorities subject to various exemptions. 

Duty to confirm or deny 

The public interest test requires Northumberland County Council to confirm
that we hold information in relation to your request as detailed below:
I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of
Information Act, details in respect to the contract below.
Provision of public health services substance misuse and associated
services.
The details we require are:
• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were
successful & not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages* 
• Contract values of each framework/contract (& any sub lots), year to
date 
• Start date & duration of framework 
• Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so,
the duration of the extension? 
• Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are
being either extended or renewed? 
• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this
contract?
For clarity, the details of the successful and unsuccessful suppliers are
kept in the strictest confidence. These details are used only to contact
and support suppliers regarding their bidding activity for the relevant
contracts.

Exemptions 

The Freedom of Information Act sets out various exemptions to the right of
access. 

In the present case the County Council takes the view that the information
relating to your request is exempt under the following provisions; 

Section 21 of the Act states that a public Authority does not need to
provide information under section 1 of the Act if that information is
reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means. 

This information will all be available publicly either published on the
Contracts Register (ProContract
- [1]https://procontract.due-north.com/Contra...)
or via the award notice on Contracts Finder (Government Website
- [2]https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder)
Notice of Refusal 

Please treat this letter as a Notice of Refusal as regards the information
covered by the Section 21 Exemption. 

Advice and Assistance 

The County Council recognises its statutory duty to provide advice and
assistance under Section 16 of the Act. 

Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, the Council
is seeking to be transparent and open in its response. 

Complaints 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review by writing within 2 months
from the date of this response to the Information Governance Office: 

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF 

Email: [Northumberland County Council request email] 

Information Commissioner 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right by Section 50 of the Act to apply to the Information
Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with
in accordance with the requirements of the Act at: 

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF 

Tel: 0303 123 1113
Email: [email address] 

There is no charge for making an appeal. 

Yours faithfully 

FOI Coordinator 
Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email] 
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk 

References

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