FOI 45-22: Utility bills at Parliament Buildings
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
Our Ref: FOI 45-22
15 September 2022
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”)
I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 6 September 2022 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:
“Can you tell me the cost of utility bills at Stormont Parliament buildings since February 2022 to as present as possible.
Therefore, can you detail the cost of electricity, heating, insurance, rates, broadband, telephone from February to as present as possible.”
The Assembly Commission holds information in relation to your request. Please see the attached information at Appendix A.
You have the right to request a formal review by the Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address. If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF which will undertake an independent review.
The Assembly Commission may publish details of your FOI request and its official response within the organisational disclosure log. The request will be completely anonymised and you will not be identified in any way. This is to meet the requirements as laid out by in the agreed publication scheme with the Information Commissioners’ Office.
Yours sincerely
INFORMATION STANDARDS
Appendix A
| Month | Electricity | Oil and Fuel | Rates | Telephone & Fax Calls | Insurance | Dedicated Internet Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Feb-22 |
£13,225 |
£50,098 |
£0 |
£1,179 |
£1,063 |
£0 |
|
Mar-22 |
£18,144 |
£36,262 |
£0 |
£1,892 |
£0 |
£6,091 |
|
Apr-22 |
£30,000 |
£40,000 |
£0 |
£1,353 |
£0 |
£18,458 |
|
May-22 |
£51,654* |
£11,958 |
£742,984 |
£1,036 |
£52,987 |
£0 |
|
Jun-22 |
£54,504* |
-£3,308* |
-£727# |
£5,777 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
Jul-22 |
£41,000* |
£11,089 |
£0 |
-£500* |
£0 |
£0 |
|
Aug-22 |
£46,152* |
£8,099 |
£0 |
£1,858 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
Total |
£254,678 |
£154,198 |
£742,258 |
£12,594 |
£54,050 |
£24,549 |
* Each month, the Assembly Commission makes a prudent estimate of the value of goods and services that have been provided but have not yet been invoiced. This accrued expenditure is then offset against the invoiced amounts in a subsequent month(s). Where the accrued amount is slightly over-stated, this can then show as a negative figure in the reported expenditure for the subsequent month. Electricity invoices for the months of May 22 to August 22 are awaited and therefore the amounts included for these months are estimates.
# This figure reflects a refund of an over-charged amount in the rates bill for Parliament Buildings for 2022-23.
