RNLI St Helier lifeboat removal from service report (FOI)

Request

Using taxpayers money a Report was commissioned by the Chief Minister from David Calvert-Smith QC entitled "Report concerning events before and after the removal of the RNLI St Helier lifeboat from service in November 2017." This has been widely distributed to politicians and others in preliminary, and perhaps final, format. There is no doubt that in the name of transparency, and in the public interest, there is a strong argument for such a report to be published. There are lessons to be learnt from the dispute and its outcome. Under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 I request the publication of the report. 

Response

A draft version of the preliminary report was distributed for Maxwellisation. The preliminary report itself is still to be finalised pending the completion of this process and is exempt under Article 26 (Information supplied in confidence) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

Paragraph 1 of the Terms of Reference for the preliminary review states that “this initial review (is) to be compiled as a confidential report for the Chief Minister prior to a decision being taken to proceed to a more detailed inquiry”.

Whether or not to proceed to a full and public inquiry is a decision to be determined by the Chief Minister. The intention is that if one is not commissioned then the preliminary report will be published instead.

Article applied

Article 26 - Information supplied in confidence

Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it was obtained by the scheduled public authority from another person (including another public authority); and

(b) the disclosure of the information to the public by the scheduled public authority holding it would constitute a breach of confidence actionable by that or any other person.