Review of Public Health England report on the Health Risks of Shale Gas Extraction.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Public Health England should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Public Health England,

I would like to request the following information with respect to the answer given to Dr Sarah Wollaston on the question of reviewing the PHE report (see reference below) .

1. What evidence has been considered since 2014?
2. How has that evidence been identified ?
3. Who has assessed this evidence and what criteria has been used ?
4. Have any professional or other bodies been consulted with respect to this review?
5. How was the scope of the review decided and by whom?
6. How much time and resource including manpower hours has been utilised in this task?

In addition I would like to request under the FOI all documents ,reports , missives including e mails and telephone discussions relating to the decision not to review the report.

Reference:

"Steve Brine The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
Public Health England continues to review the evidence on the potential public health impacts of emissions associated with shale gas extraction and has not currently identified any significant evidence that would make it change its views stated in its 2014 Review."

Yours faithfully,
Dr Barbara Kneale

FOI, Public Health England

Dear Dr Barbara Kneale,

We acknowledge receipt of your email and request for information, which will be treated as a request for information under statutory access legislation.

Please note that requests under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) will receive a response within 20 working days from the day following the date of receipt of your request.

If the request is for your personal data (i.e. a Subject Access Request) under the Data Protection Act, then we will respond within 40 calendar days.

Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
Tel: 020 8327 6920 
www.gov.uk/phe   Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk

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FOI, Public Health England

1 Attachment

Dear Dr Kneale,

Please find attached Public Health England's response.

Thanks

FOI Team

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Dear Public Health England,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Public Health England's handling of my FOI request 'Review of Public Health England report on the Health Risks of Shale Gas Extraction.'.

Further to the response I received dated the 16-8-18 , I would like to say that I am unhappy with your response. In my view I have asked some direct questions asking for objective data and answers but I have received subjective, vague and unhelpful answers. I expected my questions to be answered fully including useful data and information. Perhaps the wording of the questions were difficult to understand ? Therefore I will explain them further .
Question 1 :What evidence has been considered since 2014 ?
Your answer stated that "PHE reviews published peer reviewed scientific literature... " I would like to see a full list of all the articles that have been reviewed since 2014 and any comments on why they are not relevant.
Question 2 : How has that evidence been identified?
I would like copies of your literature searches on Pubmed, Scopus and any other resource that has been used to identify evidence. Not just the names of the databases that you use!
Question 3: Who assessed this evidence and what criteria has been used?
I would like to know the names of the individuals with work titles ( including principal professional qualifications) , names of any committees, and a copy of the written remit that was given to them in order to decide whether or not it was relevant to reviewing the report..
Question 4- No further query.
Question 5: How was the scope of the review decided and by whom?
I would like the original written document including the name of the author, names of the persons who approved this scope and names of the person(s) authorising this scope .

In addition I have not been supplied with any of the documents, reports , missives including e mails and telephone discussions relating to the decision not to review the report. May I politely ask again for this FOI request to be fulfilled.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Yours faithfully,

BK

FOI, Public Health England

PHE acknowledges your request for an internal review

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FOI, Public Health England

3 Attachments

Dear Ms Kneale,

Please find attached Public Health England’s response to your request.

Kind regards,

FOI Team

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Dear FOI,

Further to the response I received dated the 17-10-18 , I would like to say that I am unhappy with some of the information that you have provided . In my view I have asked some direct questions asking for objective data and answers but I have received incomplete answers. I expected my questions to be answered fully including useful data and information.

Question 1 :What evidence has been considered since 2014 ?
I acknowledge the full list articles that have been reviewed since 2014 but you do not identify which were for the production of the original report and which form part of the "ongoing review". The crucial aim of this request is to understand why Mr Brine feels it unnecessary to produce a new report. In addition you still not have provided me with the criteria used to assess the articles . Therefore I would like to request that I would request again :
1. Which articles have been reviewed since the 2014 report
2. What criteria has been used both in the publication of the original report and the decision making process for the publication of an updated report.
Question 2 : How has that evidence been identified?
I have no further query at this stage .
Question 3: Who assessed this evidence and what criteria has been used?
In my view this question remains unanswered . While I accept that you do not wish to reveal personal data , I would like to know the names of the senior civil service level 3 or equivalent ( including members of parliament) involved in this report. I ask once again for a copy of the written remit which presumably has a list of criteria , how the strength of evidence was assessed etc. that was given to them in order to decide whether or not it was relevant to updating the report.
Question 4- No further query.
Question 5: How was the scope of the review decided and by whom?
I would like the original written document including the name of the author, names of the persons who approved this scope and names of the person(s) authorising this scope . This information has not been provided to me and I politely request this information again.In addition I have not been supplied with any of the documents, reports , missives including e mails and telephone discussions relating to the decision not to review the 2014 report.

In addition, as in my previous response , I have not been supplied with any of the documents, reports , missives including e mails and telephone discussions relating to the decision not to review the 2014 report. May I politely ask again for this FOI request to be fulfilled.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Yours faithfully,

BK

FOI, Public Health England

1 Attachment

  • Attachment

    777 IR linked to case ref 526 Shale gas extraction linked to case ref 389 EHED 190128v2.pdf

    354K Download View as HTML

Dear BK,

Please find attached Public Health England's response.

Kind Regards

FOI Team

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