Coronavirus discussions with UK agencies (FOI)

Request

At 6:11 PM Mar 31, 2020 Chief Minister John Le Fondre confirmed that the Jersey government are "talking to experts in the UK" in regards to the Coronavirus, details here:

Chief Ministers Twitter post (1)

The Chief Minister also confirmed 6:14 PM Mar 31, 2020 that the Government of Jersey has worked with "UK Government departments and agencies throughout our response" to COVID-19, details here:

Chief Ministers Twitter post (2)

In the interests of openness and transparency, could you please provide a full list of the specific UK government "departments and agencies" the Jersey government has been taking advice from and working with as well as the names of any individual "experts" and advisors that have spoken directly with the Jersey government specifically in regards to COVID-19, including both medical as well as any economic advice.

Response

Please find below a list of UK agencies and departments with which the Government of Jersey has liaised.

Any further details of individuals with whom the Government of Jersey has liaised are exempt under Article 25 (Personal Information) and Article 41 (International Relations) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

• Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)

• Association of Ambulance Chief Executives

• Association of Colleges and Universities UK

• Cabinet Office

• Cranfield University

• Crown Commercial Services / Cabinet Office Commercial Directorates (including CDs and Overseas

• Territories)

• Department for Education

• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

• Department for Health & Social Care

• Department for Transport

• Department of Health / FCO combined PPE Cell

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office, including overseas Embassies

• Home Office

• Libraries Connected UK

• Ministry of Defence

• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

• Ministry of Justice

• National Fire Chief’s Council

• National Police Chief’s Council

• NHS England and NHS Improvement (England, Devolved Governments, CDs, Overseas Territories)

• Office for Life Sciences

• Ofqual

• Scottish Environmental Protection Agency

• UK Aviation Services

• UK Drinking Water Inspectorate

• UK Environment Agency (England)

• UK Government Supply Forum (England, Devolved Governments, CDs, Overseas Territories)

• Various UK Ambulance Services

Articles 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 2018.

(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 2018; 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.

Article 41 International relations

(1) Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between Jersey and –

(a) the United Kingdom;

(b) a State other than Jersey;

(c) an international organization; or

(d) an international court.

Public Interest Test

The public interest in respect of Article 41 is weighted in favour of maintaining the exemption unless equally strong countervailing public interest arguments favour the disclosure of the information. It is recognised that there is a public interest in providing transparency about individuals with whom the Government have liaised. However, having considered the public interest, the Scheduled Public Authority concluded that the public interest in disclosing this information is outweighed by the public interest considerations in withholding the information, in support of the Island’s interests and to avoid any potential prejudice to the Island’s relationship with the United Kingdom.