Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract “Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services”, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if she will publish the minutes of the Quarterly Commercial Review meetings.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract, Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, how many Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have taken place.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services, procurement reference CCTM22A01, if he will publish all performance reports.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is considered confidential and commercially sensitive and is therefore not publicly released.
The Home Office operates a rigorous contract management regime, which includes monthly Contract Management Group meetings and Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings to discuss contract management issues and oversee performance. Two Quarterly Commercial Review Meetings have been held.
The minutes of the monthly and quarterly performance meetings and other review meetings are treated as commercially sensitive and are not publicly released.
The Home Office also conducts regular reviews of its contracts to ensure that they deliver maximum value for money, but the minutes, notes, and outcomes of this work are commercially sensitive and not made publicly available.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, what controls exist to prevent (a) unnecessary and (b) duplicate payments being issued.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has robust controls in place to ensure Support Payment Card transactions are accurate and appropriate, including system led instructions that issue the correct support level, active monitoring of ongoing eligibility, and prompt discontinuation of payments when an asylum seeker is no longer entitled.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, With reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, whether alternative delivery models were considered prior to awarding the contract, including in-house provision.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Alternative delivery models, including in-house provision, were considered.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract Support Payment Card, procurement reference 429018/148318, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of commercial confidentiality under that contract on provision of information to Parliament that helps facilitate scrutiny of value for money.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Support Payment Card contract was awarded to Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) on 24 May 2020 as a Call-Off to Lot 2 (Prepaid Cards) of the RM 3828 Crown Commercial Services Framework Contract for the provision of the Support Payment Card Service.
PFS successfully secured a place on Lot 2 of the Framework Agreement along with four other suppliers. The Home Office determined which supplier could deliver the best value for money solution to the Home Office’s requirement. The evaluation considered both quality and price. Therefore, at the time of contract award, PFS’ solution offered the best value for money.
As these services were compliantly procured, and we undertake regular reviews of Supplier performance and assessments of financial and commercial data via established governance forums, value for money is scrutinised on an ongoing basis.
The risks of disclosing information that is considered confidential and commercially sensitive outweigh the benefits of disclosure. Release would impact on the Home Office’s ability to obtain maximum value for money for taxpayers. Disclosure of PFS’ commercially sensitive information could also impact upon their ability to compete for future services of this nature.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on making provisions for Iranians seeking asylum in the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are continuing to interview and decide asylum and human rights claims from Iranian nationals. Each claim continues to be assessed on its individual merits. The UK has experience in managing fastmoving country situations, and the current circumstances in Iran are not unique in that regard. The Home Office will continue to monitor developments closely and update relevant country information as appropriate.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, what the administrative cost is for each card, excluding the value of payments loaded onto cards.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information on the allowances provided to asylum seeking cohorts is publicly available: Asylum support: What you'll get - GOV.UK
Administrative costs related to the provision of payment cards are commercially sensitive and not for publication.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, why parts of the documentation relating to the contract are marked official sensitive; and what criteria are used to determine redactions.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information considered commercially sensitive, containing personal information or other sensitive topics or information is not routinely published and is therefore redacted by the Home Office.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to contract “Support Payment Card”, procurement reference 429018/1483183, which officials and Ministers approved the final award decision, and on what dates.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The final award followed all internal approval processes, including appropriate governance committees. Ministerial approval was not required due to the value of the contract award.