Key information
Request reference number: MGLA050423-4331
Date of response:
Summary of request
Your request
- Please share the nature of the Home Office's access to the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) database.
- Please also share the contracts and contractors who built CHAIN.
Our response
The Home Office does not have access to the CHAIN database, nor has it ever had access.
In response to the second part of your request to, ‘share the contracts and contractors who
built CHAIN’, I have understood this to mean the organisation that manages the database on behalf of the GLA.
When CHAIN became a GLA commissioned service in 2010 the contractor was Broadway. In 2014, Broadway merged with St Mungo’s and the merged organisation continued to deliver the contract until 1 April 2022 when the GLA contracted Homeless Link to deliver the service. Homeless Link are the current service providers managing the CHAIN database.
The contract between Homeless Link and the GLA for the CHAIN service is is scheduled to
be published on the Government’s Contracts Finder.
Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides an exemption for information that is intended to be published in the future. Information is exempt if, at the time when the public authority receives a request for it:
- the public authority holds the requested information;
- the public authority intends the information to be published at some future date,
- whether that date is determined or not; and
- in all the circumstances it is reasonable to withhold the information until its planned
publication.
Section 22 acknowledges that public authorities must have freedom to be able to determine their own publication timetables. This allows them to deal with the necessary preparation,
administration and context of publication. It is however necessary to consider whether the
public interest in maintaining the exemption (and withholding the information until the
publication date), is greater than the public interest in releasing the information before this
date.
In this instance, it is felt that there is a greater public interest for the GLA to keep to its
original timetable of disclosure. The decision to proactively publish the Mayoral Decision
demonstrates the GLA’s commitment to openness and transparency.
The public interest, that is the best interests of the public, is met by the GLA being open and transparent, but also by managing its resources effectively, and this includes following to established procedures which exists to facilitate the routine publication of contracts.
We do not believe the public interest favours the disruption that would be caused to GLA staff by expediting this publication when its early publication would not meet any immediate or exceptional public concerns at the present time.
We therefore find the balance of public interest falls in maintaining the exemption and the GLA publishing this information in accordance with our existing publication timetable.
If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting
reference MGLA050423-4331.