Our Hospital Review Panel membership (FOI)

Request

A

On 1 September 2022, the members of the Our Hospital review panel were confirmed as Deputy Tom Binet, Deputy Rose Binet and Deputy Karen Wilson. On what basis were these individuals selected?

Our Hospital Project Review Update (gov.je)

B

Was any consideration given to personal conflicts of interest amongst the members of the Our Hospital review panel on the basis that a majority of its members (Deputy Tom Binet and Deputy Rose Binet) were drawn from the same family?

C

At the point of its formation, were the members of the Our Hospital review panel asked to declare potentially conflicting interests more broadly? In particular, did Deputy Tom Binet declare his connections with the group known as 'Friends of Our New Hospital'?

D

On 30 September 2022, it was confirmed that Alan Moore had been appointed as the Principal Expert Adviser to the Our Hospital review panel. Where was the role of Principal Expert Adviser advertised; for how long; and how many applications were received?

Our Hospital Review (gov.je)

E

How many candidates were interviewed for the post of Principal Expert Adviser? Who conducted the interviews?

F

The announcement of Mr. Moore's appointment stated that he had 'recently visited Northern Ireland with Deputy Binet'. Did this visit take place prior to Mr. Moore's appointment? How was it funded? How was it deemed appropriate for Deputy Binet to visit Northern Ireland on professional business with someone who appeared at this stage to be a candidate for a role with the Government of Jersey?

G

Did Deputy Binet know Mr. Moore prior to his appointment as Principal Expert Adviser?

Response

A

The Chief Minister has allocated ministerial responsibility for the delivery of New Healthcare Facilities for Jersey to the Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Binet. Details have previously been published on the Government of Jersey website and can be found on page 19 of the document linked below: 

States of Jersey Law 2005: Article 30A – Ministerial Responsibilities.pdf (gov.je)

Whilst this report had not been published at the time of the review, the Minister was tasked with overseeing the review on the basis that the responsibility for delivering a new hospital for Jersey would be formally delegated to him at a later date.

Deputies Wilson and Binet are the Minister and Assistant Minister for Health and Social Services. 

B

Declarations of conflicts of interest form a standing agenda item for Ministerial group meetings.  No declarations or conflicts were recorded. Individuals being from the same family does not in itself represent a conflict of interest. 

C

Please see the response given to question 2 above. 

D

The role of Principal Expert Adviser was not advertised.  

E

The Chief Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Health and Social Services and the Minister for Treasury and Resources – along with the Chief Executive Officer, met with fewer than five candidates for the post of Principal Expert Advisor. Where numbers are fewer than five, disclosure control is applied to avoid the identification of individuals. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

F

The visit to Northern Ireland took place following the formal appointment of Mr Moore. The travel to Northern Ireland was arranged in line with the Government of Jersey Business Travel (Policy and Procedure) and was funded by the Office of the Chief Executive.

G

Mr Moore was not known to Deputy Binet prior to his appointment.

Article applied 

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

3)      In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.