Q1: Please provide evidence of advice given and received between Devon County Council and Devon Norse on the subject of Procurement Policy Notes 02/20 and 04/20 and has this advice differed from that given to other companies?
These Procurement Policy Notes refer to requests for supplier relief from at risk suppliers, and Devon Norse has made no such request to the County Council. The Council has not provided advice to Devon Norse on this subject.
Q2: For the purposes of clarity, has Devon County Council accepted Devon Norse as qualifying at being at financial risk as a direct result of Covid-19?
No.
Q3: Has Devon Norse evidenced that they are experiencing financial difficulties through a robust financial review, on an open book basis to Devon County Council and related schools?
No.
Q4: Has Devon County Council received information from Devon Norse providing all cost data and supporting documentary evidence to enable individual schools and Devon County Council to conduct due diligence of the their accounts?
Devon Norse contracts for cleaning and catering for schools are direct with each individual school and are not administered through Devon County Council. Therefore, this information is not held.
Q5: With reference to Procurement Policy Notes 02/20 and 04/20 please provide financial details on any funds paid by Devon County Council to Devon Norse between March 2020 and March 2021 and from which schools the funds have been paid and the monetary amounts actually paid.
The services commissioned by the County Council from Devon Norse through the period have continued to be provided. DCC has continued to pay for services received, and supplier relief has not been provided by the County Council to Devon Norse.
The Council does not co-ordinate school contracts as schools individually commission their own services from their service providers. Therefore, the Council does not hold information on individual contracts for schools.