Internet of Things correspondence (FOI)

Request

Can the Minister or Assistant Minister of Treasury and Resources or the Treasurer of the States of Jersey publish correspondence with Jersey Telecoms in relation to:

A

the decision to sell Jersey Telecoms IoT business?

B

the date Jersey Telecoms confirmed it was in discussions to sell the business?

C

the date on which [redacted] withdrew from leading negotiations in light of having agreed to join the prospective purchaser of the IoT business and the date this was communicated to the Minister or Assistant Minister or Treasurer?

D

the date on which [redacted] withdrew from leading negotiations in light of having agreed to join the prospective purchaser of the IoT business and the date this was communicated to the Minister or Assistant Minister or Treasurer?

E

any conflicts of interest disclosed by [redacted] and the date these were communicated to the Minister or Assistant Minister or Treasurer?

Response

A and B

Information is publicly available on www.gov.je in response to a Written Question in the States Assembly and a previous Freedom of Information request. Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

Written question to the Minister for Treasury and Resources by the Connétable of St. John (gov.je)

Jersey Telecoms 'Internet of Things' (FOI)

C, D and E.

Information is not held by the Scheduled Public Authority and Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 therefore applies.

The sale of the IOT ('Internet of Things') business was managed and overseen by the Board of JT, as a result there is no direct correspondence between the company and the Minister or Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources or the Treasurer of the States in relation to the questions raised. The Minister, Assistant Minister and Treasurer received regular verbal updates on the sales process. An independent third-party assurance review was also commissioned by the Minister to run in parallel with the sale process. This review provided assurance on the appropriateness of the process followed and the timing of the sale of the IOT business.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of "information held by a public authority"

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.