Nice one, Katherine, though I call "that" file "Pending": you just know
that one of these fine days, all that stuff will come back and bite you
on the [insert appropriate word here].
Iain
On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 12:51:44 +0000 Katherine Henderson
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Before threatening to sue, it may be worth giving the DSA Officer at the
> LEA a ring to check they have the invoice and see if there's any particular
> reason why it hasn't been paid. We find that if an invoice can't be paid
> for some reason and we send follow up correspondence to the institution
> requesting further information it often goes to the Finance Office who
> seem to file it away in the Nowhere Else to Put It File (every office has
> one). It may be that every time the LEAs receive a reminder, they reply
> asking for further info, the Finance Office file it and then you send
> another reminder.
>
> This approach may generate quicker results, and leads to better working
> relationships between assessment centres and LEA Officers.
>
> That said, I'm not defending late payments and if you've already tried this
> it's worth following Mick's advice.
>
>
> Kath Henderson
> Team Leader - Student Support
> Education Department
> Overseas House
> PO Box 191
> Quay Street
> Manchester Tel. No: 0161 234 7076
> M60 3ST Fax No: 0161 234 7004
>
>
>
>
> Michael Trott
> <Ukassessments@AO To: [log in to unmask]
> L.COM> cc:
> Sent by: Subject: Re: Late payments from LEAs
> "Discussion list
> for disabled
> students and
> their support
> staff."
> <DIS-FORUM@JISCMA
> IL.AC.UK>
>
>
> 20/01/2004 18:35
> Please respond to
> "Discussion list
> for disabled
> students and
> their support
> staff."
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mark,
> Further to my remarks yesterday I received the following advice from the
> Office of the Auditor General in response to a problem I had getting money
> out of
> a reserch council. Now resolved by a letter threatening to sue them
>
> * Guidance on financial procedures to be followed within
> government bodies is set out in Government Accounting (available on the
> internet at www.government-accounting.gov.uk ). Chapter 22 sets out the
> policies relating to procurement and Annex 22.2 specifically gives
> Procurement Policy Guidelines - paragraph 6.5 states:
>
> "Prompt payment. Departments and their agencies should pay their
> suppliers on time. Where there is no contractual provision or other
> understanding, departments should pay suppliers within 30 days of
> receipt of goods or services, or the presentation of a valid invoice or
> similar demand for payment, whichever is the later"
>
> * Further guidance on supplying government bodies is provided by
> the Office of Government Commerce ( www.ogc.gov.uk ) under the topic
> "Supplying Government".
>
> * All government bodies are subject to the Late Payment of
> Commercial Debts Act 1998. This Act enables a business to claim interest
> if another business (including Government Departments and their
> agencies, etc.) pays its bills late. Further information is available on
> the Office of Government Commerce's website at the above link.
>
> Therefore they are pretty much obliged to pay or querry an invoice within
> 30
> days and you can charge interest on outstanding debts. The LEA officer
> would
> be very embarrased trying to explain why they had to waste public money on
> interest to their auditors.
>
> Mick Trott
>
>
>
>
>
>
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----------------------
Iain Hood
Senior Student Adviser, Learning Support
[log in to unmask]
Student Support Services
Anglia Polytechnic University
East Road
Cambridge
CB1 1PT
01223 363271 ex 2316
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