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Request

Subject: Supplier Invoice Payments

Reference: WBC-FOI-00692

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your Accounts Payable department:

Transactional invoice payment data for all trade suppliers, paid from April 1 2018 - March 31 2022 to include the following:

Mandatory Requirement:

Supplier name

Invoice date (date on invoice)

Date invoice was paid

Invoice gross value

Supplier invoice reference

For all invoices where the payment date is greater than 30 days after the invoice date.

Optional Requirement (please provide if available in the same report)

Invoice number (your system reference)

Date invoice was received (if recorded)

Further Guidance:

Please include:

  • Invoices submitted by trade suppliers only, typically VAT invoices as defined by HMRC advice.

  • The information in electronic form in a CSV, TXT file or excel format. as a mail attachment.

    Do not include:

  • Payments such as employee expense, residential care payments, foster care payments, direct payments, standing orders, business rate rebates etc.

  • Any data you perceive as commercially sensitive or data protected (supplier name is not data protected for sole traders).

  • A URL / link to the council's transparency spend data - this does not typically include the time taken to pay the invoice.

  • The summary of the council's payment performance as required by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. I am seeking the transaction detail that sits behind this.

  • Information presented in a PDF format

Response

Part Disclosed - 21 February 2023

Request for Information - WBC-FOI-00692 - Supplier Invoice Payments

I refer to your request for information received on 06 February 2023. Please see the information below and attached in response to your request: -

Your Request:

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your Accounts Payable department:

Transactional invoice payment data for all trade suppliers, paid from April 1 2018 - March 31 2022 to include the following:

Mandatory Requirement:

Supplier name

Invoice date (date on invoice)

Date invoice was paid

Invoice gross value

Supplier invoice reference

For all invoices where the payment date is greater than 30 days after the invoice date.

Optional Requirement (please provide if available in the same report)

Invoice number (your system reference)

Date invoice was received (if recorded)

Further Guidance:

Please include:

  • Invoices submitted by trade suppliers only, typically VAT invoices as defined by HMRC advice.

  • The information in electronic form in a CSV, TXT file or excel format. as a mail attachment.

    Do not include:

  • Payments such as employee expense, residential care payments, foster care payments, direct payments, standing orders, business rate rebates etc.

  • Any data you perceive as commercially sensitive or data protected (supplier name is not data protected for sole traders).

  • A URL / link to the council's transparency spend data - this does not typically include the time taken to pay the invoice.

  • The summary of the council's payment performance as required by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. I am seeking the transaction detail that sits behind this.

  • Information presented in a PDF format

    Our Response:

    The Council believes that Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act is engaged in relation to the supplier invoice reference. Section 31 States that public authorities are not obliged to release information that would be likely to prejudice the functions of law enforcement - namely the prevention and detection of crime.

    This is due to the risk that the supplier reference could be used as a way of fraudulently changing bank details . We have carried out a public interest test to determine whether this information should be exempt from release. Whilst the council considers the importance of making information accessible, particularly financial data related to spend, we consider that the public interest lies in maintaining the exemption as the risk of fraud is high and the legitimate use of this information is limited. We are therefore withholding supplier invoice numbers as the exemption is engaged.

    Please note that supplier name has been redacted where this is the name of an individual. The information requested is third party personal data/personal data of another person and is exempt information under Section 40(3A). This is an absolute exemption therefore the public interest test is not applicable.

    Please find all other information attached regarding the following where the payment date is greater than 30 days after the invoice date. This will include ALL Invoices, even where in dispute for the time in question.

  • Supplier name

  • Invoice date (date on invoice)

  • Date invoice was paid

  • Invoice gross value

    In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this response acts as a Refusal Notice.

    I hope this information meets your needs. If you do not understand the information provided or wish to discuss anything further, please feel free to contact us.

    Please note, all material provided by the Council in response to your request for information is for your personal, non-commercial use. The Council reserves all rights in the copyright of the information provided. Any unauthorised copying or adaptation of the information without express written confirmation from The Council may constitute an infringement of copyright. Any intention to re-use this information commercially may require consent. Please forward any requests for re-use of information to the FOI officer.

    If you are dissatisfied with the information provided in relation to your request, you may make representations to the Information and Transparency Manager. Any such request for an internal review should be made within 40 days from today's date. Correspondence should be addressed to: FOIW@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

    If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision at: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

    Regards,

    FOI and DPA Officer

    FOIW@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

Attachments

This response includes the following files:

Please note that our responses were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of release, and have not subsequently been updated. This information should be considered an historical record only.