Payments to Suppliers - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

A set of responses have been set out below in answer to common questions that the Royal Borough is receiving in regard to payment to suppliers. We hope that these may be of help to you.

• The data has been on the Council's website since June 2009.
• As the data is fairly raw, it doesn't take a great deal of manipulation.
• We are working on the understanding that those interested in the Transparency Agenda prefer raw data. We initially posted pdf files but changed to csv format which can be manipulated as the user requires.
• We had some concerns about corruption of data etc but that has not materialised, although in August 2010 I understand that a scam involving changing supplier bank accounts emerged.
• We use Agresso as our Financial System. We are now working with Agresso to publish in a format that assists those interested analysing data across authorities.
• Payments to the likes of staff; foster carers; and recipients of direct payments are held as separate supplier groups within our Accounts Payable system so can be filtered fairly simply.
• Payments exclude VAT, as we are showing cost to local taxpayer.
• The Council has had no direct contact with Department for Communities and Local Government so have no feel for whether the types of payment we currently include will be the ones that emerge from any regulation/guidance.
• We don't make many CHAPS payments but they will not all be included.
• The benchmark would be the information be made available if a member of the public asked for it during annual inspection of accounts period. The conclusion was fairly simple in that it probably would be.
• We now include a note on remittance advices, Purchase Orders and in contracts that this information will be published. We have received no reaction to those notes.
• Only one company has challenged the commercial sensitivity of the information published.
• About half of our 64 schools process invoices through our Accounts Payable as part of a traded service and their data is included. The data we provide to Spikes Cavell for their 'Spotlight on Spend' website excludes schools.
• There was an initial concern that we would be inundated with requests for information but until recently that hasn't been the case. To date we have been receiving approximately one a month!
• The local press have shown very little interest despite carrying the initial launch with the Taxpayers Alliance.
• Now this has been given a national profile the number of questions requiring investigation and response may well increase.

If you require further information or are experiencing any difficulties please e-mail the Head of Finance.

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