Shared Services Connected Ltd

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.030442

I note you seek access to the following information:

Your department currently has a contract with Shared Services Connected Ltd, SSCL, to provide payroll services in respect of invoices issued by interpreters and other freelancers engaged directly by your organisation.

1. Kindly provide me with details of where I can consult this contract or contracts. In particular, I am interested in contracts with SSCL governing the payment of freelance individuals such as interpreters or expert witnesses.
2. Having regard to the contract or contracts, please inform me what performance indicators are included pertaining to paying contractors within the statutory period of 30 days.
3. Having regard to the contract or contracts, please inform me what penalty clauses are included pertaining to paying contractors outside of the statutory period of 30 days.
4. If your department has any written policy, promise or undertaking regarding meeting the statutory payment term for public authorities to pay contractors within 30 days, please refer me to it.
5. If your department keeps any performance figures relating to SSCL’s performance, measured in terms of the time taken to pay contractors, please provide them to me.
6. Please inform me who is the person in your department with responsibility for the contract or contracts with SSCL, to whom one might complain regarding persistent late payment exceeding the statutory term of 30 days.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - Kindly provide me with details of where I can consult this contract or contracts. In particular, I am interested in contracts with SSCL governing the payment of freelance individuals such as interpreters or expert witnesses.

MPS contract awards are published on the MPS Publication Scheme

Information published includes:

• Supplier
• Contract Title
• Maximum Value of Contract
• Contract Type
• Contract Start Date
• Contract End Date
There is no specific contract with SSCL governing the payment of freelance individuals. The SSCL contract requires SSCL to process invoices which have been approved by the MPS within the payment terms set for each supplier.

Q2 - Having regard to the contract or contracts, please inform me what performance indicators are included pertaining to paying contractors within the statutory period of 30 days.

SSCL does not have a performance indicator relating to payment of invoices within 30 days of invoice date as this is dependent upon the date invoices are received by SSCL and approved for payment by the MPS, and is therefore outside SSCL’s control. SSCL performance is therefore dependent on processing ‘MPS approved invoices’ within the payment terms set for each supplier, following receipt.

Q3 - Having regard to the contract or contracts, please inform me what penalty clauses are included pertaining to paying contractors outside of the statutory period of 30 days.

As explained in Q.2 above, there is no 30-day penalty.

Q4 - If your department has any written policy, promise or undertaking regarding meeting the statutory payment term for public authorities to pay contractors within 30 days, please refer me to it.

The MPS policy on Prompt Payment aligns to the Government Prompt Payment Policy  This is published in the MPS Supplier Code of Conduct – Supplier Code of Conduct (met.police.uk). At the MPS, we aim to pay 90% of undisputed and valid invoices from SMEs within 10 days, and 90% of all undisputed and valid invoices to be paid within 30 days or as per contract payment terms.

Q5 - If your department keeps any performance figures relating to SSCL’s performance, measured in terms of the time taken to pay contractors, please provide them to me.

Please see the response provided in Q.2 above.

Q6 - Please inform me who is the person in your department with responsibility for the contract or contracts with SSCL, to whom one might complain regarding persistent late payment exceeding the statutory term of 30 days.

Selina Patel is the Commercial Lead for the Business Support Service Contract with SSCL.

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