Expenditure on eGov programme (FOI)

Request

Please kindly provide a breakdown of all expenditure on the eGov programme since its launch in as much detail as possible (for example, instead of just £XX on 'app development', please state the exact quantities and the names of the apps, and also provide names of specific contractors where possible).

Response

When a contractor provides services to the States of Jersey, it expects to receive a reasonable level of confidentiality regarding the transactions.

Names of individual organisations are commercially sensitive, and disclosure would be prejudicial to the organisations and the States of Jersey. Therefore, Article 33 (Commercial Interests) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 is being applied.

The Scheduled Public Authority can disclose that 38 organisations were engaged, ranging from multi-nationals who supply corporate systems, to sole traders, and that 17 of the organisations are local.

The below table is provided at summary level in order to protect third parties.

Exemption applied

Article 33 - Commercial interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes a trade secret; or

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Justification for exemption

As a qualified exemption it is necessary for the public authority to assess if the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, as it is essential that third parties have confidence that their commercial interests will be protected, when transacting with the States of Jersey.

There is a need for public authorities to have transparency, accountability, financial and good decision making, in order to facilitate understanding and public debate. The Corporate Services Scrutiny panel is a mechanism for challenges to be made in relation to the Government, Ministers and ultimately the departments which they work with. It is considered that the information is sensitive and its disclosure will be prejudicial to third parties and the States of Jersey.