FOI 33-25: Information in regards to contracts for banking services for the Northern Ireland Assembly

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

21 May 2025

Our ref: FoI 33-25

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA")

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 1 May 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:

"Please supply information on the following:

  1. Who currently holds the contract for banking services for the NI Assembly?
  2. How long have they held the contract?
  3. How many bank accounts are involved in the contract?
  4. What is the total value of this contract?
  5. What services are involved in the contract?"

 

Our response

The Assembly Commission holds information in relation to your request.

 

1. Who currently holds the contract for banking services for the NI Assembly?

Danske Bank holds the contract for the Assembly Commission. The contract was awarded pursuant to the Collaborative Banking Services Framework established by the Construction & Procurement Delivery (CPD) business area of the Department of Finance.

2. How long have they held the contract?

This CPD Collaborative Framework Agreement became effective from the 1 April 2022. The Assembly Commission is a named participating body and the Assembly Commission contracted with Danske Bank on 1 October 2022.

3. How many bank accounts are involved in the contract?

The Assembly Commission has one bank account, however a further bank account is held under this Framework and administered by the Assembly Commission on behalf of the Trustees of the Northern Ireland Assembly Members Pension Scheme. The Assembly Commission are not privy to the total number of bank accounts held by other public bodies using this collaborative contract.

4. What is the total value of this contract?

The lifetime cost of the contract is £4,500 and is comprised solely of bank fees.

5. What services are involved in the contract?

The contract is for banking services including the provision and servicing of a range of bank account types, various payment and receipt methods, local banking facilities and access to an internet banking system.

A link to the published framework is available here and a link the contract award notice is available here.

 

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

 

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS