Theatre Services Review (FOI)

Request

Please could I have a copy of the Health Department’s Theatre Services Review carried out by Felix Choto?

Response

The findings of the Theatre Services Review outlined potential areas of improvement, and as such the recommendations and findings of the panel will inform development of Theatre Services’ process and policy. Therefore, Article 35 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Article Applied

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.

The Scheduled Public Authority (SPA) is withholding the release of the information as it relates to the formulation and development of policy and procedure by the public authority. The findings of the Theatre Services Review outlined potential areas of improvement, and as such the recommendations and findings of the panel will inform development of Theatre Services’ process and policy.

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 procedural 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, 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 and procedural development as iterations of documents are demonstrative of the development process 

• the need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a project

• current and ongoing work towards identifying actions required and developing policies and processes means that policy may develop further and is not yet finalised

• disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy and procedure making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future project development across wider Departmental business.