Publication - FOI/EIR release

Precision Medicine Ecosystem Investment £4m 2015/2016: FOI release

Published: 28 June 2018
Directorate: Chief Medical Officer Directorate
Topic: Health and social care, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/18/01684
Date received: 14 June 2018
Date responded: 27 June 2018

Information requested

The following information in relation to Precision Medicine Ecosystem Investment £4m 2015/2016:

1. When was the first meeting regarding this proposal and who attended?

2. List any subsequent meetings that were held with attendees.

3. When did you receive the first written proposal?

4. How, who and when was it reviewed?

5. I understand there was a second paper?

6. When was final sign off?

7. When did you disburse the first funds?

8. The ethics committee process and

9. Please send me correspondence relating to the review of the proposal, questions, comments answers and the like.

10. And any CSO/Committee minutes and notes on the proposal.

Response

Your request – Question 01

You asked for: "When was the first meeting regarding this proposal and who attended?"

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

Your request – Question 02

You asked for: "List any subsequent meetings that were held with attendees"

See response to Question 01.

Your request – Question 03

You asked for: "When did you receive the first written proposal?"

The information you have requested has been previously provided to in a previous freedom of information response under reference FOI/18/00527. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do no longer have a copy of this response then please contact me again and I will resend you this response.

Your request – Question 04

You asked for: "How, who and when was it reviewed?"

Section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) requires the Scottish Government to notify you if it does not have the information you requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

Your request – Question 05

You asked for: "I understand there was a second paper?"

The information you have requested has been previously provided to you in a previous freedom of information response under reference FOI/18/00527. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do no longer have a copy of this response then please contact me again and I will resend you this response.

Your request – Question 06

You asked for: "When was final sign off?"

I enclose a copy of the information you requested. For the purposes of this response "final sign off" has been interpreted as when the offer of funding was accepted by the recipient.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e names/contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in the Data Protection Act and Regulations. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. This information where present has been redacted from the information provided.

Your request – Question 07

You asked for: When did you disburse the first funds?

All of the information you have requested is available from the Chief Scientist Office Website at the web address detailed below.

http://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/outputs/cso-outturn-summaries/

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Your request – Question 08

You asked for: The ethics committee process

All of the information you have requested is available from the NHS Research Scotland at the web address detailed below.

http://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/services/research-ethics

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you.

Your request – Question 09

You asked for: "Please send me correspondence relating to the review of the proposal, questions, comments answers and the like."

I enclose a copy of the information you requested.

Your request – Question 10

You asked for: "And any CSO/Committee minutes and notes on the proposal."

I enclose a copy of the information you requested.

Reasons for not providing information

Question 01 + 02 - The Scottish Government does not have the information.

Section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) requires the Scottish Government to notify you if it does not have the information you requested. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the request for funding came from an external source who may have had many discussions and meetings involving numerous individuals not recorded on Scottish Government records.

You may wish to reconsider the scope of these information requests to better assist us in identifying the information you are looking for. We have provided further comment in this annex which may aid it the understanding of the nature of the Precision Medicine Ecosystem proposal.

Question 04 - The Scottish Government does not have the information.

We believe the question presented is with a view the Precision Medicine Ecosystem was a scientific health research project application. The Precision Medicine Ecosystem is a national strategic initiative involving various organisations which was progressed over a period of time. The decision to provide financial support was at the discretion of the Scottish Ministers following internal deliberation.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses