PWC Report (FOI)

​Request

Can you please supply the following documents?

A

The original PWC report (from March 2020) on stress testing the Jersey Care Model

B

The most recent version (as at 18 June 2020) of the PWC report on stress testing the Jersey Care Model

Response

The PWC report on the care model has been delayed in publication due to the pandemic response. The reports will be made public when there are submitted to the States Assembly for consideration.

The timetable for publication of the report is also referenced within the following Freedom of Information response:

Stress testing report of the Jersey Care Model (FOI)

Until such time as the report is submitted to the States Assembly it is considered exempt from release under Article 35 (Formulation and Development of Policy) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

Article applied

Article 35 Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

Public interest test

Article 35 is a qualified exemption, which means that a public interest test has to be undertaken to examine the circumstances of the case and decide whether, on balance, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Although there is a need for transparency, accountability, financial and good decision making by public authorities this information relates to an ongoing situation. The SPA – and indeed good government, requires Ministers to be provided with full, frank advice about the possible impact of proposed policy, and for Ministers and officials to be able to test those proposed policies in a comprehensive way.

The following considerations were taken into account:

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure

• disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary discussions have taken place

• disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information

• in order to best develop policy, Officers and Ministers need a safe space in which to develop policy. Disclosure at a time when policy is still being considered would negatively impact the SPA’s ability to fully consider the information

• the need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy

• release of the information at this stage might generate misinformed debate in areas where future options have yet to be finalised. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately

• disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy–making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future policy development across wider Departmental business

Taking into account the various factors, the SPA decided in favour of withholding the redacted information.