Covid-19 Second Wave

Angus Council did not have the information requested.

Dear Angus Council,

I am writing to you to request the following information.

1) For the period between May 1 2020 and present, any forecasting analysis undertaken by the local authority for a potential second wave of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) in Winter 2020 or in 2021 which
a) details the overall financial impact of a second wave for the local authority
b) the potential death and case numbers of a second wave
c) the impact on care homes
d) the impact on schools
e) the impact on council run services

2) Any internal documents, briefing notes or reports circulated to the chief executive and/or council leader detailing plans or contingencies for a potential second wave of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) between the date of May 1 and September 7 2021.
2a) Please consider this request to include draft reports which I argue, given the extremely high public interest in plans to combat a second wave of a deadly pandemic, should be disclosed unless there is a significant barrier against the presumption of disclosure.

Yours faithfully,

Conor Matchett

InformationGovernance, Angus Council

Dear Mr Matchett

 

Thank you for your information request dated 7 September 2020 (received by
Angus Council 8 September 2020).

 

If we are unable to provide you with a response within 20 working days, we
will advise you of this in writing.

 

Please refer to the information below which explains your right to
complain if you are unhappy with how the Council is dealing with your
request.

 

If you have any queries, please ask for me on 01307 491752 or email
[1][Angus Council request email].

 

Yours sincerely

Brenda Angus 

 

Brenda Angus | Business Support Assistant | Angus Council | Tel: 01307
491752 | Email: [email address] or [email address] |
www.angus.gov.uk

 

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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004

INSPIRE (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2009

                                                 

Your Right to Request a Review by the Council

                                                               

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which Angus Council has dealt with
your request for information under any of the above statutory instruments,
you have a right to ask the council to review its actions and/or decisions
regarding your request. If you wish to do this, you should make your
request to the Director of Legal & Democratic Services, Angus Council,
Angus House, Orchardbank Business Park, Forfar DD8 1AN or e-mail
[2][Angus Council request email] within 40 working days.

 

Your request must:                    

o be in writing (or recordable format);
o give your name and address for correspondence;
o give details of the information which you originally requested from
the council;  and
o give the reasons why you are dissatisfied with the way in which your
application for information has been dealt with.

 

Your application for review will then be considered by the council’s
review panel.  The review panel will write to you informing you of its
decision not later than 20 working days after receipt of your request for
a review. The review panel will also provide you with a statement of its
reasons for arriving at the decision it has made.

 

Your Right to Appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner

 

If you are dissatisfied with a decision of the council's review panel (or
where the review panel has not provided you with a response), you have the
right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as
to whether your request for information has been dealt with by the council
in accordance with the above statutory instruments.

 

Your application to the Scottish Information Commissioner must:

o be in a recordable format (letter, e-mail, audio tape etc);

o give your name and address for correspondence.
o give details of the request for information which you originally
requested from the council;
o give details of why you were dissatisfied with the council’s response
to your original request;
o give details of why you were dissatisfied with the decision of the
council's review panel.

 

In the case of an EIR or FOI request your application to the Scottish
Information Commissioner must be made within 6 months of receipt of the
decision of the council’s review panel (or within 6 months of the date
that the review panel should have responded).  No such time limit applies
under the 2009 Regulations. 

 

Appeals to the Commissioner can be lodged online through the following
hyperlink:

[3]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
or by contacting:

 

Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St
Andrews, Fife, KY16 9BS; Telephone - 01334 464610; Fax - 01334 464611;
Email - [4][email address]

 

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FriedrichM, Angus Council

Dear Mr Matchett

 

Request for Information

 

Thank you for your request for information dated 7 September 2020
(received by the Council on 8 September 2020) which has been passed to me
for attention.

 

You have requested the following information:

 

1) For the period between May 1 2020 and present, any forecasting analysis
undertaken by the local authority for a potential second wave of Covid-19
(Coronavirus) in Winter 2020 or in 2021 which

a) details the overall financial impact of a second wave for the local
authority

b) the potential death and case numbers of a second wave

c) the impact on care homes

d) the impact on schools

e) the impact on council run services

 

The Council does not hold any information on such a forecasting analysis
as the Council does not carry out its own modelling or forecasting.  The
Council’s response to the pandemic is guided by scenarios forecasted and
measures directed by the Scottish Government and Public Health which are
subject to continued change.  No guidance on a “second wave” has been
forthcoming.  However, financial impacts of the pandemic and resulting
adjustments, uncertainties, contingencies etc have been reported to
Council at its last meeting on 10 September 2020 and I refer you to the
following link: 
[1]https://www.angus.gov.uk/committees/angu...

 

This kind of information is routinely published and I refer you by way of
example to the following hyperlink:
[2]https://www.angus.gov.uk/coronavirus

 

2) Any internal documents, briefing notes or reports circulated to the
chief executive and/or council leader detailing plans or contingencies for
a potential second wave of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) between the date of May
1 and September 7 2021.

 

Please see above.

 

2a) Please consider this request to include draft reports which I argue,
given the extremely high public interest in plans to combat a second wave
of a deadly pandemic, should be disclosed unless there is a significant
barrier against the presumption of disclosure.

 

Please see above.

 

In compiling responses to information requests we invariably use
information which is routinely published on the [3]Council’s website or
through its [4]Publication Scheme.  If you require further information
please first check that the information you want is not routinely
published as any such information is exempt from release in terms of
Section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 or Regulation
6(1)(b) of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

 

I hope that this information is of some help to you. Please note that the
information contained in this reply is believed to be accurate as of
today's date (unless otherwise indicated) but no warranty is given.
Further, Angus Council does not accept liability for any loss, injury or
damage which arises from the use of the information contained in this
reply either by you or by any other party. Please refer to the information
set out below which explains your right to ask for a review if you are
unhappy with how the Council has dealt with your request. If you have any
queries, please contact me on 01307 491992 or e-mail
[5][Angus Council request email]

 

Yours sincerely

 

Martin Friedrich

 

 

 

 

Martin Friedrich | Paralegal - FOI | Angus Council | Tel: 01307 491992 |
DX 530678 FORFAR | [6][email address] | [7]www.angus.gov.uk

 

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From: InformationGovernance
Sent: 09 September 2020 09:39
To: [8][FOI #690115 email]
Subject: FOI Request 711/2020: Covid-19 Second Wave

 

Dear Mr Matchett

 

Thank you for your information request dated 7 September 2020 (received by
Angus Council 8 September 2020).

 

If we are unable to provide you with a response within 20 working days, we
will advise you of this in writing.

 

Please refer to the information below which explains your right to
complain if you are unhappy with how the Council is dealing with your
request.

 

If you have any queries, please ask for me on 01307 491752 or email
[9][Angus Council request email].

 

Yours sincerely

Brenda Angus 

 

Brenda Angus | Business Support Assistant | Angus Council | Tel: 01307
491752 | Email: [10][email address] or [11][email address] |
[12]www.angus.gov.uk

 

Follow us on Twitter

Visit our Facebook page

 

Think green – please do not print this email

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004

INSPIRE (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2009

                                                 

Your Right to Request a Review by the Council

                                                               

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which Angus Council has dealt with
your request for information under any of the above statutory instruments,
you have a right to ask the council to review its actions and/or decisions
regarding your request. If you wish to do this, you should make your
request to the Director of Legal & Democratic Services, Angus Council,
Angus House, Orchardbank Business Park, Forfar DD8 1AN or e-mail
[13][Angus Council request email] within 40 working days.

 

Your request must:                    

o be in writing (or recordable format);
o give your name and address for correspondence;
o give details of the information which you originally requested from
the council;  and
o give the reasons why you are dissatisfied with the way in which your
application for information has been dealt with.

 

Your application for review will then be considered by the council’s
review panel.  The review panel will write to you informing you of its
decision not later than 20 working days after receipt of your request for
a review. The review panel will also provide you with a statement of its
reasons for arriving at the decision it has made.

 

Your Right to Appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner

 

If you are dissatisfied with a decision of the council's review panel (or
where the review panel has not provided you with a response), you have the
right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as
to whether your request for information has been dealt with by the council
in accordance with the above statutory instruments.

 

Your application to the Scottish Information Commissioner must:

o be in a recordable format (letter, e-mail, audio tape etc);

o give your name and address for correspondence.
o give details of the request for information which you originally
requested from the council;
o give details of why you were dissatisfied with the council’s response
to your original request;
o give details of why you were dissatisfied with the decision of the
council's review panel.

 

In the case of an EIR or FOI request your application to the Scottish
Information Commissioner must be made within 6 months of receipt of the
decision of the council’s review panel (or within 6 months of the date
that the review panel should have responded).  No such time limit applies
under the 2009 Regulations. 

 

Appeals to the Commissioner can be lodged online through the following
hyperlink:

[14]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
or by contacting:

 

Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St
Andrews, Fife, KY16 9BS; Telephone - 01334 464610; Fax - 01334 464611;
Email - [15][email address]

 

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