49.3  Assistance to the Authority

The Service Provider shall undertake or refrain from undertaking such actions as the Authority shall reasonably request to enable the Authority to comply with Part 1 of the 1999 Act, including:

(a)  supporting and assisting the Authority in preparing Best Value Performance Plans and conducting Best Value Reviews in relation to the Services;

(b)  complying with requests for information, data or other assistance made by the Authority in pursuance of its Best Value Duty including to:

(i)  enable the Authority to prepare a Best Value Performance Plan;

(ii)  enable the Authority to conduct a Best Value Review;

(iii)  facilitate the audit of the Best Value Performance Plan by the Authority's auditor pursuant to Section 7 of the 1999 Act;

(iv)  facilitate the Authority preparing any statement, in response to an Authority's auditor's report, pursuant to Section 9 of the 1999 Act;

(v)  facilitate any inspection undertaken by any Relevant Authority in connection with the Best Value Duty in respect of the Services, including any inspection undertaken with a view to verifying the Authority's compliance with its Best Value Duty pursuant to Sections 10 and 11 of the 1999 Act;

(vi)  assist the Authority in relation to any action taken by the Secretary of State under Section 15 of the 1999 Act; and

(vii)  enable the Authority to comply with the Publication of Information Direction 2000 (England and Wales);

(c)  complying with all requests by the Authority to procure the attendance of specific officers or employees of the Service Provider or the FM Contractor or the Services Contractor (or to procure attendance of any of its or their sub-contractors) at any meetings of the Authority at which the Services are to be discussed (but not, otherwise in exceptional circumstances, more than [Insert Number] in any one year);

(d)  permitting any officer, agent or employee of the Audit Commission or other Relevant Authority empowered to inspect the Authority's compliance with Part 1 of the 1999 Act, in connection with the exercise of his statutory powers and duties, at all reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, access to:

(i)  the Facilities;

(ii)  any document or data relating to the Services; and

(iii)  any sub-contractor, agent or employee of the Service Provider or the FM Contractor or the Services Contractor.