Our Hospital project site decision (FOI)

Request

The five people who were responsible for the short list of the final five sites of the previous Our Hospital project were Caroline Landon, Catherine Maddon [sic], Ashok Handa, Richard Bannister and Willie Peggy [sic]. 

A

Who exactly decided that they should be the people with the final say? 

B

Which meeting was this discussed in and where is this documented? 

C

How do two people (Bannister and Handa) – who were only on short term contracts, and not even local residents, allowed anywhere near the site selection process and why was the Chief of staff (Maddon) [sic] selected so soon after her arrival on the island?

D

Why was the fact that Maddon [sic] and Bannister had worked closely for many years with Charlie Parker on the rejuvenation of Liverpool, and the fact that Bannister – was a previous Director of Mace (also involved in the project) not highlighted as a confliction conflicted from the very start?

Response 

A

The Senior Officer Steering Group asked the Our Hospital Project Head of Planning to constitute a panel of Government of Jersey officers with relevant skills and experience.  The Head of Planning was supported in identifying panel members by the Director General, Growth, Housing and Environment.

B

This was discussed at the Senior Officer Steering Group meeting of 03 February 2020.  

The minutes of this meeting have already been published in a previous Freedom of Information response which can be accessed via the link below, Article 23 (Information accessible to applicant by other means) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law has therefore been applied. 

Minutes of Our Hospital Group Meetings (FOI)

C

The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 gives a right to request information that is held in recorded form, unless exempt. This aspect of the request poses a question rather than seeking information held in recorded form. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. 

Information in respect to the selection of Officers is publicly available on www.gov.je in response to a previous Freedom of Information request which can be accessed via the link below. Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

Shortlisting Panel Members for the Our Hospital Project (FOI)

D

No declarations or conflicts were recorded. Individuals having worked together previously or for a particular organisation does not in itself represent a conflict of interest. 

The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 gives a right to request information that is held in recorded form, unless exempt. This aspect of the request poses a question rather than seeking information held in recorded form.  Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

 Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.