Work Programme bullying fraud

The request was refused by National Audit Office.

Dear National Audit Office,

Can you provide a copy of any unpublished information or evidence the NAO holds that relate to the quotations
below:

"Claimants bullied into signing an agreement to supply prospective employers’ details, for the provider to claim a job outcome payment.

Providers pursuing claimants for the contact details of their new employer despite the claimant gaining work without provider’s help"
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1213/...
Page 34 of Preventing fraud in contracted employment programme

Please disclose copies of any such specimen 'agreements' you hold and the names of the organisations that you contend used bullying tactics to get them signed.

Yours faithfully,
Frank Zola

FOI, REQUESTS,

REFERENCE: FOI-641
 
Dear Mr Zola,
 
Thank you for your request for information relating to Work Programme
bullying fraud.  Specifically, you have requested a copy of any
unpublished information or evidence, specimen 'agreements' and the names
of the organisations that the National Audit Office (NAO) contends used
bullying tactics to gain signatures in relation to the following
quotations from the NAO’s recent report ‘Preventing fraud in contracted
employment programmes,’ published in May 2012:
 
 
"Claimants bullied into signing an agreement to supply prospective
employers’ details, for the provider to claim a job outcome payment;
 
and
 
Providers pursuing claimants for the contact details of their new employer
despite the claimant gaining work without provider’s help."
 
Your request was received on 6 June 2012 and I am dealing with it under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  Please contact the FOI
team if you have any queries about this email, quoting our reference
number, above, in any further communications relating to this request.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
Joseph da Silva
FOI Team
National Audit Office, 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road,  Victoria, London,
SW1W 9SP
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7798 7264 | Email: [1][NAO request email] | Web:
[2]http://www.nao.org.uk/
 
 
 

The information contained in this email, and any files transmitted with
it, is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.
Such information may be confidential and privileged, and no mistake in
transmission is intended to waive or compromise such privilege.

If you have received the email in error, please notify the NAO's Post
Master at mailto: [email address].

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept for the
presence of computer viruses.

Please visit our website at www.nao.org.uk

 

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NAO request email]
2. http://www.nao.org.uk/

FOI, REQUESTS,

Dear Mr Zola,
 
This is to update you on the progress of your FOI request, for information
about Work Programme bullying fraud.
 
I can confirm that we have identified information in scope of your
request.  We are currently consulting a third party regarding this
information before reaching our final decision about its release but,
regrettably, we have not yet received a response from the third party and
we will be unable to respond to you within the 20 working day deadline
(Wednesday 4 July) prescribed by the Act.
 
However, we continue to give the matter our full attention and do not
anticipate that there will be a long delay in concluding this and
responding to you.
 
Please be assured that we will respond as soon as possible and accept my
apologies for this delay.
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Joseph da Silva
FOI Team
National Audit Office, 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road,  Victoria, London,
SW1W 9SP
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7798 7264 | Email: [1][NAO request email] | Web:
[2]http://www.nao.org.uk/
 
 
 

The information contained in this email, and any files transmitted with
it, is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.
Such information may be confidential and privileged, and no mistake in
transmission is intended to waive or compromise such privilege.

If you have received the email in error, please notify the NAO's Post
Master at mailto: [email address].

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept for the
presence of computer viruses.

Please visit our website at www.nao.org.uk

 

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NAO request email]
2. http://www.nao.org.uk/

FOI, REQUESTS,

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Zola,

 

Please find, attached, our response to your Freedom of Information
request.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Joseph da Silva

FOI Team
National Audit Office, 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road,  Victoria, London,
SW1W 9SP
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7798 7264 | Email: [1][NAO request email] | Web:
[2]http://www.nao.org.uk/

 

 

The information contained in this email, and any files transmitted with
it, is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.
Such information may be confidential and privileged, and no mistake in
transmission is intended to waive or compromise such privilege.

If you have received the email in error, please notify the NAO's Post
Master at mailto: [email address].

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept for the
presence of computer viruses.

Please visit our website at www.nao.org.uk

 

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NAO request email]
2. http://www.nao.org.uk/

Dear National Audit Office,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of National Audit Office's handling of my FOI request 'Work Programme bullying fraud'.

You stated some of the information you hold is based upon media reports, yet you have claimed that you do not need to disclose the names of the organisation names in these media reports, because of the Section 41(1) exemption you are claiming, this appears
to be an incorrect use of Section 41(1) as it does not apply to media reports.

My request said "Please disclose copies of any such specimen 'agreements' you hold and the names of the organisations that you contend used bullying
tactics to get them signed."

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/wo...

Yours faithfully,

Frank Zola

FOI, REQUESTS,

Dear Mr Zola,

Thank you for your email of 11 July, requesting an internal review of your recent Freedom of Information Request.

I'd like to clarify my response to you of 11 July. The section 41(1) exemption applies to the MPs' correspondence that we hold, not to the media reports. We do not hold copies of the media reports that relate to your request, and they are already in the public domain. We therefore do not hold any information that includes the names of the organisations concerned, other than the correspondence which is covered by the exemption.

I am sorry that this was not clear in my previous response. Please email [email address] if you still wish us to undertake an internal review.

Yours sincerely

Nick Lacy
Head of Policy and Legal Advice
National Audit Office, 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road,  Victoria, London, SW1W 9SP
| Email: [NAO request email] | Web: http://www.nao.org.uk/

The information contained in this email, and any files transmitted with it, is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Such information may be confidential and privileged, and no mistake in transmission is intended to waive or compromise such privilege.
If you have received the email in error, please notify the NAO's Post Master at mailto: [email address].
This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept for the presence of computer viruses.
Please visit our website at www.nao.org.uk

show quoted sections