Social Security Scotland stationery budget spend: FOI release

Information requested

Request for Information 1: My question is how much Is it costing for your stationary as the letter I got from Livingston was on thick expensive paper yet the one I got from Belfast was on thin normal paper.

Request for Information 2: Could you please break down your " stationary budget " for me as to how much you spend per sheet of paper.

Response

Request for Information 1:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

Social Security Scotland do not purchase the paper used for regular mailing. All services in relation to sending letters is done through the Postal Service contract and is carried out on Social Security Scotland’s behalf by Royal Mail. Details of Social Security Scotland’s Postal Services contract currently in place with Royal Mail can be found on our contract register which is published on Public Contracts Scotland View Contract - Public Contracts Scotland.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

Request for Information 2:

We have interpreted your request for our budget to relate to our forecasted spend. The total forecast stationery spend for the current financial year, 2024-25, is £12,471.

Please note that this is our stationery budget used within our buildings for internal use and not related to printing costs associated with sending letters to our clients.

Social Security Scotland places orders for stationery directly from a catalogue under the Scottish Government Office Supplies Framework. Details of this framework can be found Procurement: general office supplies framework - gov.scot.

An exemption under section 33(1)(b) of FOISA (commercial interests) applies to some of the information requested. This exemption applies because disclosure of the breakdown of our stationery costs would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of Lyreco. Disclosing this information would be likely to give Lyreco’s competitors an advantage in future similar tendering exercises, which would substantially prejudice Lyreco’s ability to submit competitive tenders and so could significantly harm their commercial business.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to help account for the expenditure of public money. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of companies which tender for Scottish Government contracts, to ensure that we are always able to obtain the best value for public money.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.