Aberdeen Counting Officer's accounts in Scottish Independence Referendum: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/01603
Date received: 10 July 2017
Date responded: 14 July 2017

Information requested

• A copy of the accounts submitted by the Counting Officer for the City of Aberdeen in the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.

• Specifically I would like to see copies of Forms A,B, C, D,E,F, G, H. I, J, K and K.

• Additionally I would like to see copies of the annexes to Form G.

• Additionally I would like to see a copy of the invoice submitted by Idox to supply the Postal Vote Managed Service to the City of Aberdeen Counting Officer, including to whom the invoice was made out (if the document structure follows UK elections, this will be an invoice listed in G8 Equipment).

Response

Documents released

• Postal vote management invoices
• Aberdeen City - Scottish Independence Referendum sumary of accounts

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we have had to make some redactions because exemptions under section s.38(1)(b) (personal information) and 33(1)(b) (commercial interests) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained below.

You also asked for information on "to whom the invoice was made out", in relation to the Idox invoices You will see that the invoices do not have a named contact but are addressed to the Accounts Payable Section at Aberdeen City Council. We do not hold any further information on these invoices.

Reasons for not providing information

Personal information
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. names and contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998 (individuals names on form E and signatures on the Idox invoices). Redactions have been made as appropriate.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Bank account details
An exemption under section 33(1)(b) of FOISA (commercial interests) applies to some of the information requested. This exemption applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of Aberdeen City Council.

The account number of the Aberdeen City Council bank account on form C, used by the Returning Officer, has been redacted in order to maintain confidentiality.

About FOI

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

foi-17-01603 Aberdeen - SIR accounts - Postal vote management invoices (2).pdf

File type

2 page PDF

File size

135.0 kB

Aberdeen - SIR accounts.pdf

File type

21 page PDF

File size

2.7 MB