London and Brussels Offices (FOI)

Request

I would like to request the following information about the Channel Islands offices in both London and Brussels;

A

The staffing costs of both offices and how those costs are divided up between Jersey and Guernsey

B

The rental costs of both offices and how those costs are divided up between Jersey and Guernsey

C

The amount spent on consultants by either office

D

Whether the Brussels office will be closed once the UK leaves the EU and the time frame involved?

E

How many people from the States of Jersey have been sent on secondment to either office in the last five years?

Response

The Jersey London Office is a wholly owned company, grant funded by the Government of Jersey.

The Channel Islands Brussels Office (CIBO) is a jointly owned company, grant funded equally by the Government of Jersey and the States of Guernsey.

The territorial restrictions of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (the Law) apply.

A

The amount of the grant paid to each entity is published in the States of Jersey accounts which can be viewed at the following link:

States of Jersey financial report and accounts.

Due to the low number of staff working in both the London Office and the Brussels Office, it may be possible to identify employees, and as this information is personal information it is exempt under Article 25 of the Law.

The information cannot be disclosed because its disclosure to a member of the public would contravene one or more of the data protection principles, which are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005. As a public authority, the States of Jersey must observe all of the data protection principles when processing personal data. The exemption from the duty to disclose personal data, where to do so would breach a data protection principle, is an absolute exemption, therefore the public interest test in Part 2 of the Law does not apply.

Moreover, CIBO was incorporated as a Belgian private foundation and, as such, its staff fall under EU / Belgian data protection rules. The Jersey London Office was incorporated as a UK limited liability company and, as such, its staff fall under UK data protection legislation.

B

This question is considered exempt under Article 33 of the Law - Commercial interests.

Article 33 (b) allows an authority to refuse a request for information where its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information). In this instance, we believe the rental amount is commercially sensitive as it was the outcome of negotiations between parties.

C

Zero spend on behalf of Jersey.

D

There are no plans to close CIBO as a consequence of Brexit. Jersey (and Guernsey) are already outside the EU. CIBO was established because Jersey has significant interests that it needs to promote and protect in our relationship with the EU. That will remain the case following Brexit.

E

One person from Jersey to the Brussels Office and one person from Jersey to the London Office, each for a period of six months.

Exemptions 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) supply to a member of the public

Article 33 Commercial interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes a trade secret; or

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a

person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).