MU Funded - Health Care

Summary

The requester asked for the cost of private healthcare for 27 former MEA staff and their job specifications, but the Manx Utilities Authority refused to provide this data.

Key Facts

• The authority stated that extracting specific cost figures for the 27 staff members would require creating new information, which is not required under the Act.
• Private healthcare costs are managed under an annual corporate policy that does not allow for a breakdown of costs for specific individuals.
• The authority does not hold a specific job specification dataset for the 27 members of staff requested.
• The response included a warning that multiple parallel requests may be considered frivolous or harassing under section 11(3)(d)&(e) of the Act.
• The outcome of the request was recorded as 'Not upheld' on 2022-03-04.

Data Disclosed

• 27
• 2021-12-13
• 2022-03-04
• April 2014
• April 2021
• 2143237
• 2116457
• 3
• 7
• 4
• 6

Exemptions Cited

• Requirement to create or derive information (not required under the Act)
• Section 11(3)(d) & (e) - Practical refusal due to multiple requests, duplication, or potential harassment

Original Request

1. What has been the cost to the MUA of providing free private health care to the 27 former MEA staff members now employed by the MUA referred to in its Response to a Freedom of Information Request reference no. 2116457 since the IOM Water & Sewerage Authority was merged with the Manx Electricity Authority in April 2014 to date? 2. What was the cost to the MUA of providing free private health care to the 27 former MEA staff members now employed by the MUA referred to in its Response to a Freedom of Information Request reference no. 2116457, in the tax year ending April 2021? 3. A list of job specifications for the 27 members of staff referred to.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Manx Utilities PO Box 177, Douglas Isle of Man, IM99 1PS

e: enquiries@manxutilities.im t: 01624 687687 www.manxutilities.im

Our ref: 2143237 12 January 2022

Dear ###

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

We write further to your request which was received on 13 December 2021 and which states:

"1. What has been the cost to the MUA of providing free private health care to the 27 former MEA staff members now employed by the MUA referred to in its Response to a Freedom of Information Request reference no. 2116457 since the IOM Water & Sewerage Authority was merged with the Manx Electricity Authority in April 2014 to date? 2. What was the cost to the MUA of providing free private health care to the 27 former MEA staff members now employed by the MUA referred to in its Response to a Freedom of Information Request reference no. 2116457, in the tax year ending April 2021? 3. A list of job specifications for the 27 members of staff referred to."

Our response to the above questions:
Questions 1 & 2 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request for information would require Manx Utilities to create or derive information from, research into or analysis of, the information that it holds, which Manx Utilities is not required to do under the Act.
Costings related to the provision of Private Health care is an annual corporate policy. This policy is not limited to the 27 staff whose costs are solely born by Manx Utilities under their contractual terms of employment, but does include staff who pay to cover the costs of their own health care provision. There is no breakdown within the corporate annual policy, or its costings, that allows us to extract such figures, subsequently any attempt to extract a figure would be guesswork and incorrect given the nuances in individual circumstances.
Response - Question 3

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request for information would require Manx Utilities to create or derive information from information that it holds, which Manx Utilities is not required to do under the Act. Manx Utilities does not hold a job specification dataset as described for the specified 27 members of staff.
To provide some help and advice please see the associated Role Categories: Role Category Contract Number Executive PC 3 Senior Manager PC 7 Manager PC 4 Engineer PC 6 Supervisor/Officer PC 4 Technician/Analyst PC 3

Advice and considerations for the management of FOI requests

Further to the response above, if you wish to submit a further request on this topic or similar, please contact the FOI co-ordinator who may be able to assist in the framing of any request to help obtain the optimum result.

On 13 December 2021, in another FOI response cover letter, Manx Utilities did state that it would respond to information requests within approved timelines, it was also requested that you to bear to mind the purpose of the FOI Act in that each information request should be for information that is likely to be held by Manx Utilities and that promotes a public interest. It was requested you consider the time and burden multiple parallel submissions have on the day-to-day duties of Manx Utilities staff, ultimately the cost to the customer in answering such requests, and allow the ongoing cases to be completed before submitting more. You chose to ignore this request, and subsequently submitted two further requests on that same day.

Multiple requests, actions and duplications create a burden for Manx Utilities, and take away from any serious purpose and/or value. There may be grounds for a ’practical refusal reason’ s11(3)(d)&(e) of the Act: • multiple requests on a topic that is a similar vein or duplicated information; • may overlap within the FOI process actions (ie new FOI request submitted related detail, whilst there is an ongoing complaint/Internal Review and not allowing time for formal response); and
• possible to interpret as being designed to cause irritation and/or have the effect of harassing an authority, or could be characterised as obsessive, misconceived or frivolous.

We are happy to discuss any requests prior to submission, but whilst there are ongoing actions, including complaints/Internal Reviews of existing requests and any potential for further ICO action thereafter, can you please limit your requests to 2 and await completion before further action. This may also help with any overlapping topics, and considering these responses will to help frame or formulate any future requests.

Please quote the reference number 2143237 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.