Localised outbreaks data - request 2
Dear Public Health England,
I recently wrote to you to ask for some data related to coronavirus out breaks. I asked for several fields/variables for each outbreak and in your response you said such granularity or detail would risk disclosure of personal, sensitive information.
I would like to repeat my request and this time, I would like you to respond with any and all information that you feel would not risk disclosure of personal, sensitive information.
My previous request was as follows, please provide information for each of the fields/variables that I request in that request and where you feel one or more fields would risk a 'mosaic' effect or similar and thus problematic disclosure, please respond with your reasoning for each field:
The secretary of state has stated that more than 100 localised lockdown actions are taken each week.
"Where we find a cluster or outbreak, we send in extra testing, including mobile testing units that can be deployed anywhere in the country," he added.
See an example of this being reported here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-53386205
Please, with reference to FOI legislation, will you provide a spreadsheet detailing these localised outbreaks and suspected outbreaks since the start of March or as early as you have data if later than 1st March?
Specifically I would like detail, where held, on:
Date of alert to possible outbreak
Location of possible outbreak (postcode preferred or parliamentary constituency if postcode too specific)
Type of location (e.g. school, hospital, farm etc)
Date testing/confirmation actions commenced
List of testing/ confirmation actions taken (testing kits sent etc)
Outbreak confirmed ( yes, no)
Date outbreak confirmed (where no outbreak confirmed, date when alert dropped or case closed)
List of actions taken where outbreak confirmed equals yes.
Many thanks for your time taken in this matter.
Yours faithfully,
Robert Davidson
OFFICIAL
Dear Robert Davidson,
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, your request has been handled as a data subject access request (SAR) under Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), then we will respond within one month of the receipt of the request.
Public Health England (PHE) is responsible for providing guidance and advice to government and front-line services for all aspects of public health. It is a designated Category 1 responder organisation under the Civil Contingency Act and this specifically includes the COVID-19 response, providing clinical expertise and wider public health advice and guidance across national and local government, the NHS and third sector. As such, you may experience delays when making statutory information access requests during the pandemic.
We will aim to address all requests promptly and within the required response timeframes. However when we are unable to meet the response timeframe we will keep requesters updated on a revised expected timescale for a response to their request. The Information Commissioner recognises this position in its recent guidance, see link: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/dat...
Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk
Dear FOI,
Would you be able to provide an update on response timelines for this FOI request? I understand you must be busy at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Davidson
Dear Robert Davidson
Thank you for your email and patience whilst we process your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We apologise for the delay in providing our response. Due to the pandemic we are dealing with a high volume of requests at this time. We aim to provide you with a response by 18 November 2020.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Thank you once again for your patience.
Kind Regards,
FOI Team
Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
Tel: 020 8327 6920
www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk
Dear Robert Davidson
Please find attached Public Health England's response to your request.
We apologise for the time taken to provide the response. Due to the pandemic we are dealing with a high volume of requests at this time.
Kind regards
FOI Team
Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now