Correspondence with Northern Ireland Executive Committee
Dear Department of Health and Social Care,
I would like to request copies of correspondence, including emails, letters, and/or minutes, with the Northern Ireland Executive Committee, and/or any relevant departments/their Ministers, such as the Executive Office or Department of Health, concerning the granting of executive approval for the extension of the Search
The Medicines (Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues) (Emergency Prohibition) (Extension) Order 2024 to Northern Ireland.
Yours faithfully,
Aidan
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Dear Mr McCreary,
Please find attached the Department of Health and Social Care's response
to your recent FOI request (our ref: FOI-1527188).
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care
Dear Department of Health and Social Care,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Health and Social Care's handling of my FOI request 'Correspondence with Northern Ireland Executive Committee' FOI-1527188.
I believe that the exemption you have applied refers to some, but not all, of the information I requested.
As you may be aware, ICO guidance on Section 35 exemptions states: "Once a policy decision has been made, the exemption cannot apply to any background statistical information, even if it is contained in a ministerial communication". (https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...)
Yours faithfully,
Aiden McCreary
Dear Department of Health and Social Care,
I would like to expand my request for internal review (FOI-1527188) I had more time to consider why I find your arguments weak. This correspondence should arrive to you alongside my initial email in time to be considered.
- This is a matter of public health. The restriction of access to essential medication is of considerable public interest. The weight or consideration of public health wasn’t fully considered in the public interest test.
- The requests are related to intergovernmental correspondence, rather than the internal deliberative processes in how the DHSC formulates its policy. That is not covered under section 35
- The policy related to a temporary order, it is fully developed and has already been implemented. Once a policy is in place, the justification for maintaining confidentiality under Section 35(1)(a) weakens significantly.
Yours faithfully
Aiden McCreary
Dear Mr McCreary,
Your requested internal review of FOI-1527188 is now complete. Please see
the attached letter for the outcome.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Internal Reviews
Department of Health and Social Care
This e-mail and any attachments is intended only for the attention of the
addressee(s). Its unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all
copies and inform the sender by return e-mail. Any views expressed in this
message are not necessarily those of the Department of Health and Social
Care. Please note: Incoming and outgoing email messages are routinely
monitored for compliance with our policy on the use of electronic
communications.
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