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i. The total number of contracts is 130. As of today, 102 (78%) have been completed, 28 are outstanding.
Some contracts cross over into other areas from whom we’re waiting for info. We estimate we’ll get to
100% completion by next Wednesday.
d. PPE
i. My team have managed to pull the information together for a further 18 contracts which should be
published today.
6. Note on timing: when we publish OJEU notices, it does not happen instantly. There is a 3-5 delay for processing by the EU
publications office, presumably for translation.
7. I understand Cabinet Office have access to Tussell data (we don’t). Probably worth getting an updated figure next week
when the notices are live.
Hard to find items.
8. Our focus continues to be on OJEU notices (rather than Contracts Finder Notices) and we’re working through the things
that we can publish.
9. There is a list of Hard to Find Contracts, attached. These are proving more difficult for various reasons
a. We can’t find contracts documents
b. Deals (sometimes large ones) have been agreed “on PO terms” meaning there is no contract. We can’t publish
what doesn’t exist.
c. Documents are unsigned
d. Contracts have been cancelled
e. Contract data and spend data does not match and we can’t find evidence of the discrepancy
10. This list has become a bit of a car park as we’ve been focussing on the stuff that can be published.
Publication with urgency
11. It is untrue and unfair to accept any criticism that we are deliberately withholding information. The data shows that we
have been consistently publishing information for weeks. This trajectory of improvement continues and has not stalled.
12. We have a duty to publish information in certain timeframes but also a greater duty to publish information that is correct.
We have already seen the consequences of publishing incorrect information.
13. The task is time consuming. It took 3 people 2 full days to compile the information to publish 18 notices. In order to find
information, we need to search Mendix, Defenceshare, OneWorld, BMS, Atamis and various shared mailboxes. Some of
these data sources are not well organised (defenceshare in particular requires manual searching). We also need to match
any contract information we find against actual spend information.
14. Sometimes it’s not clear whether spend consists of one contract, a contract that was subsequently varied or 2 separate
contracts.
15. Rushing publication carries significant risk, namely
a. We publish incomplete or inaccurate information that is on the record permanently (n.b. there is no mechanism
to withdraw or correct an OJEU notice)
b. We breach confidentiality agreements with suppliers
c. We publish information that should remain secret
16. For every notice we now publish, we can expect significant interest. It’s not just a case of a couple of hours to publish, it’s
the resource to manage the barrage of press queries, legal challenges, PQs, FOI requests, NAO requests and suchlike.
The approach
17. The We are working with leads in each area who provide us with information weekly. is leading on Track and
Trace, on freight and logistics, on NHSx and Professional Services.
18. PPE is still the most difficult category as we have not been able to identify who was accountable for decision making in
this area. We have published nearly all of the contracts that went through a normal Purchase Order route, with the
exception of 10 cancelled contracts and 10 contracts we just can’t locate information for. The Foreign Currency Payments
Other Factors
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