Print equipment

Request

Please answer the following questions regarding your print equipment set up under Freedom of Information Act 2002 (FOISA)

1. Number of Multi-functional devices/photocopiers at National Archives?
2. Name of current supplier (the incumbent)?
3. When did the contract start?
4. When is it due to end?
5. Details of any extension options beyond above date (Q4)?
6. If contract has ended, when do you intend to re-tender this arrangement?
7. Route to market used – open tender of framework. If framework, which one?
8. Number of single function printers – in addition to above MFD count?
9. Is there a services agreement that covers above (Q8)?
10. Does National Archives have a Print Room?
11. If yes, please advise (a) name of supplier (b) number of devices (c) contract end date (d) details of any extension options
12. Who at the National Archives looks after this contract?

Outcome

Some information provided.

Response

I can confirm that The National Archives holds information relevant to your request and we are pleased to be able to provide some of this information to you.

However, we are unable to provide you with some of the information you have requested because it is covered by the exemption at section 31(1)(a) of the FOI Act, which exempts information if it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the prevention of crime.

For further information about why this exemption has been applied, please see the explanatory annex at the end of this letter.

1. Number of Multi-functional devices / photocopiers at National Archives?

TNA has 25 multi-functional devices.

2. Name of current supplier (the incumbent)?

This information is exempt under Section 31(1)(a) of the FOI Act.

3. When did the contract start?

CCS Contract started 2017. Our contract reference is CM904.

4. When is it due to end?

CCS Contract expired 31 March 2022.

5. Details of any extension options beyond above date (Q4)?

We continued with our incumbent supplier after contract expiry on the same rates. As noted in question 2, the name of the supplier has been withheld under Section 31(1)(a) of the FOI Act.

6. If contract has ended, when do you intend to re-tender this arrangement?

We continued with our incumbent supplier after contract expiry on the same rates. As noted in question 2, the name of the supplier has been withheld under Section 31(1)(a) of the FOI Act.

7. Route to market used – open tender of framework. If framework, which one?

Crown Commercial Services

8. Number of single function printers – in addition to above MFD count?

This is limited to plotters for large document printing and scanning, of which we have two.

9. Is there a services agreement that covers above (Q8)?

Rolling annual support

10. Does National Archives have a Print Room?

The National Archives does not have a print room. We use our TFM partner to print and bind occasional documents using The National Archives copier fleet.

11. If yes, please advise (a) name of supplier (b) number of devices (c) contract end date (d) details of any extension options

See response to question 10.

12. Who at the National Archives looks after this contract?

Mark Newman

Annexe

Exemptions applied

Section 31: law enforcement

We are unable to provide you with information regarding contracts for printing equipment at The National Archives, as this information is exempt from disclosure under section 31(1) (a) of the FOI Act. Section 31(1) (a) exempts information if its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime.

Section 31 is a qualified exemption and we are required to conduct a public interest test when applying any qualified exemption. This means that after it has been decided that the exemption is engaged, the public interest in releasing the information must be considered.

If the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in withholding it then the exemption does not apply and the information must be released. In the FOI Act there is a presumption that information should be released unless there are compelling reasons to withhold it.

The public interest has now been concluded and the balance of the public interest has been found to fall in favour of withholding information covered by the section 31(1)(a) exemption. Considerations in favour of the release of the information included the principle that there is a public interest in transparency and accountability in disclosing information about government cyber security.

However, release of this information would make The National Archives more vulnerable to crime. The crime in question here would be a malicious attack on The National Archives’ computer systems. As such release of this information would be seen to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime by making The National Archives’ computer system more vulnerable to hacking.

There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping government computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This would outweigh any benefits of release. It has therefore been decided that the balance of the public interest lies clearly in favour of withholding the material on this occasion.

Further guidance on section 31 can be found here on the ICO website.