Correspondence between LOD, Deputy Kevin Lewis and IHE (FOI)

Request

Please include correspondence from the Bailiff, Deputy Bailiff, Law Officers Department, Deputy Lewis and the Infrastructure department since 1 March 2021 in respect to the following:

• The Royal Square including Royal Court Road

• Hill Street

• Halkett Place

In addition, any further correspondence both external and internal making reference to bicycles, cycles, cyclists, planters, cycle routes, cycle lanes, scooters and traffic lights.

Response

Neither the Bailiffs Chambers nor the Law Officers Department are Scheduled Public Authorities and are not covered by Freedom of Information legislation. We have therefore only been able to search records between the Minister for Infrastructure and Officers of the Infrastructure, Housing and Environment (IHE) Department.

The following key words were used as requested; Royal Square, Royal Square Road, Hill Street and Halkett Place and the search was run from 1 March 2021 to the date of the interrogation of our records, 6 July 2021. Particular attention was paid to looking for documents that related to your other key words ‘bicycles, cycles, cyclists, planters, cycle routes, cycle lanes, scooters and traffic lights’

Copies of the resulting documents which mostly relate to the Pilot Cycle Scheme in Hill Street are attached. Personal information has been redacted in accordance with Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

01 Att 1 Project Plan_Redacted

02 Min Meeting 25 June SR_Redacted

05 Hill St Pilot Contraflow SR_Redacted

05  Att 1 DS Hill Street Pilot NR

10 Press Release SR_Redacted

11 Att 1 Hill St cycle lane NR

11 Hill St SR_Redacted

13 Hill Street - Project Plan SR_Redacted

18 Broad St Prop SR_Redacted

113 Att 1 walking, cycling, bus travel and parking NR

114- Att 1 P.79 NR

114 Writtten Question 193 SR_Redacted

133 oral question 122 SR_Redacted

P.28-2021 Amd NR

Documents relating to the Pilot Cycle Scheme in the Royal Square and / or Royal Square Road have been withheld, at this point in time, in accordance with Article 35 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2002, as the proposals are still under development.

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 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.

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.

In applying this article, 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 and provide advice to Ministers, officials need a safe space in which free and frank discussion can take place – discussion of how documentation is presented and provided is considered as integral to policy development as iterations of documents are demonstrative of the policy development process.

• 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 may generate misinformed debate. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately

• premature disclosure of documentation relating to this matter 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.