Cost of Ronaldsway Covid-19 Vaccine Hub

Summary

A request for detailed construction, running, staffing, and removal costs of the Ronaldsway Covid-19 Vaccine Hub was largely refused because the Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the specific data. The authority cited that costs were aggregated across all hubs and could not be derived without creating new information, though it provided estimated figures from a previous request.

Key Facts

• The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold specific cost data for the Ronaldsway Hub individually.
• All vaccination hubs were operated as a single unit, preventing the assignment of specific running or staffing costs to the Ronaldsway site.
• Estimated build costs for the site were £90,000 as of February 2021.
• Known expenditure for site items like signage and IT equipment was £81,886.64 as of February 2021.
• The department is not required to create or derive information from existing data under Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act.

Data Disclosed

• £81,886.64
• £90,000
• 12 February 2021
• July 2021
• 4 August 2022
• 29 August 2022
• 1646913
• 2564597

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)a of the Act (Information not held)
• Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act (No duty to create or derive information)

Original Request

In relation to the Ronaldsway Airport Covid-19 Vaccination Hub, please can you confirm the following: 1. What was the total cost to the taxpayer of the construction and installation of the Hub (including all building labour and materials costs)? 2. Following construction, what were the total running costs (excluding staffing but including utilities, signage, PPE etc) until it closed in July 2021? 3. What was the staffing cost associated with running the Hub until it closed in July 2021? 4. What was the overall total cost associated with the Hub taking in to account all construction costs, running costs and staffing costs? 5. What was the total cost of removing the Hub at Ronaldsway Airport (including all labour/transport/materials)? 6. Were any private contractors involved in the removal process? 7. If private contractors were involved in the removal, who were they and how much was each paid/ 8. What happened to the Hub's construction materials e.g. partitions, flooring, equipment, screens etc? 9. Were any such materials dumped/destroyed and if so what was the value of such dumped/destroyed items. Please note that these questions were initially put to the Cabinet Office but it has referred the queries to the DHSC. Thank you.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Interim Chief Executive: Stuart Quayle Freedom of Information Team First Floor Belgravia House Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1AE

Our ref: 2564597 29 August 2022

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 4 August 2022 and which states:

"In relation to the Ronaldsway Airport Covid-19 Vaccination Hub, please can you confirm the following: 1. What was the total cost to the taxpayer of the construction and installation of the Hub (including all building labour and materials costs)? 2. Following construction, what were the total running costs (excluding staffing but including utilities, signage, PPE etc) until it closed in July 2021? 3. What was the staffing cost associated with running the Hub until it closed in July 2021? 4. What was the overall total cost associated with the Hub taking in to account all construction costs, running costs and staffing costs? 5. What was the total cost of removing the Hub at Ronaldsway Airport (including all labour/transport/materials)? 6. Were any private contractors involved in the removal process? 7. If private contractors were involved in the removal, who were they and how much was each paid/ 8. What happened to the Hub's construction materials e.g. partitions, flooring, equipment, screens etc? 9. Were any such materials dumped/destroyed and if so what was the value of such dumped/destroyed items. Please note that these questions were initially put to the Cabinet Office but it has referred the queries to the DHSC. Thank you."

Our response: While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Health and Social Care ('the Department') is unable to provide the information that you have requested. This is in line with Section 11(3)a of the Act, as a practical refusal reason applies; namely we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. To provide

advice and assistance, I have added further information to each of your questions below. 1. What was the total cost to the taxpayer of the construction and installation of the Hub (including all building labour and materials costs)? The Department does not hold this information, however estimated costs were provided in a previous FOI request 1646913 and I have listed them below for information. As dated 12 February 2021, the known expenditure for the site, including items such as signage, IT equipment, waste receptacles etc., was £81,886.64 and the estimated build costs were £90,000. 2. Following construction, what were the total running costs (excluding staffing but including utilities, signage, PPE etc) until it closed in July 2021? 3. What was the staffing cost associated with running the Hub until it closed in July 2021? 4. What was the overall total cost associated with the Hub taking in to account all construction costs, running costs and staffing costs? All Hubs were run as a single unit so costs were not assigned to each individual hub. In accordance with Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act, the Department is not required to create or derive information from information that it holds; undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds; or undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds.
5. What was the total cost of removing the Hub at Ronaldsway Airport (including all labour/transport/materials)? 6. Were any private contractors involved in the removal process? 7. If private contractors were involved in the removal, who were they and how much was each paid/ 8. What happened to the Hub's construction materials e.g. partitions, flooring, equipment, screens etc? 9. Were any such materials dumped/destroyed and if so what was the value of such dumped/destroyed items.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Health and Social Care ('the Department') is unable to provide the information that you have requested. This is in line with Section 11(3)a of the Act, as a practical refusal reason applies; namely we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested as it may be held by the Department of Infrastructure.

You may wish to re-submit your request to the Department of Infrastructure which is an option available on the Freedom of Information request portal, who may be able to help you. Please quote the reference number 2564597 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.