Meat Plant finances

Original Request

Please provide 1. details of financial assistance given by IOM Government to Isle of Man Meats and/or the abattoir for each of the years 2012 to 2017 broken down by Government Department and into the following categories: subvention, loans, repairs and refurbishment, veterinary services, hygiene inspection, carcass classification, waste disposal, rent discount, and outside consultants/advisers; please also specify whether the years are calendar or accounting. 2. details of the number of hours and costs of DEFA staff not included above spent on work related to Isle of Man Meats and/or the abattoir for each of the years in question

Data Tables (3)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 530733 23rd August 2018

Dear ###, We write further to your request which was received on 12 July 2018 and which states: "Please provide 1. details of financial assistance given by IOM Government to Isle of Man Meats and/or the abattoir for each of the years 2012 to 2017 broken down by Government Department and into the following categories: subvention, loans, repairs and refurbishment, veterinary services, hygiene inspection, carcass classification, waste disposal, rent discount, and outside consultants/advisers; please also specify whether the years are calendar or accounting. 2. details of the number of hours and costs of DEFA staff not included above spent on work related to Isle of Man Meats and/or the abattoir for each of the years in question" For clarity, the two parts of your question have been answered separately below in relation to information held by this Department. If you require information from other areas of Government separate requests will need to be submitted to each Department, Board and Office. Where table cells do not show a figure, no information is held. 1. Response a. Subvention (all figures below are by financial year) 2012 – 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018 £706,381 £900,000 £475,500 £632,500 £1,380,000 £1,350,000 b. Loans 2012 – 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018 - - - - £177,5601 - Note 1. This consists of three short term loans for repairs and refurbishment that were repaid within the financial year. c. Repairs and refurbishment 2012 – 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018 - - £1,038,878 £653,806 £123,517 £5,563 d. Veterinary Services While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information you request in relation to recent years cannot be released as it is planned to test the market for provision of this service in the near future. The strategy and documentation are still to be developed and agreed. This is included in Treasury’s Tender Plan list that can be viewed here [https://www.gov.im/media/1360176/tender- plans-all-departments-2018-201916718.pdf ] This information is consequently withheld under Section 30(2)(b) of the FoIA. Disclosure of this detail at this time would prejudice the project and would be likely to prejudice the interests of those involved in the process. The specific prejudice caused would be to disrupt this project by allowing information to be released outside the context of the service (the provision of which is to be considered) and any tender process. In coming to this conclusion the following considerations have been made: • Disclosure of the information may affect any of the parties’ abilities to participate competitively in any subsequent tender process. • Disclosure of the information may affect the Department’s ability to achieve savings in the service and therefore value to the taxpayer. • All parties have an interest in ensuring this major infrastructure asset is run as cost effectively as possible and any potential saving to the taxpayer needs to be properly investigated. Confidentiality needs to be retained while any investigations into cost savings are ongoing. Public Interest In assessing where the Public Interest lies in relation to Section 30(2)(b) of the FoIA and the release of this information the following factors have been considered. Factors in favour of disclosure are: • There is a general public interest in ensuring that any process to change the delivery of support and services offered to a major infrastructure asset is open and fair. • Over the years the Meat Plant has received a substantial amount of financial support from the taxpayer, who consequently has a right to ensure their taxes are spent wisely and fairly. Factors in favour of maintaining the exemption and withholding the information are: • All parties have an interest in ensuring this major infrastructure asset is run as cost effectively as possible and any tender process to investigate outsourcing of services needs to take place in a fair and confidential environment. • The procurement and tender process is a very specific process that must take place through fair, open and genuine competition and within specific timeframes. • Release at this time of any support provided by the Department for this service would influence any company submitting a tender and therefore limit the Department’s ability to achieve best value for the taxpayer. Having balanced the factors in favour of disclosure with the factors in favour of maintaining the exemption we consider that, in all circumstances of this case, the public interest in maintaining the Qualified Exemption under section 30(2)(b) outweighs that in disclosure. In addition to the above, although the Department has not yet initiated a formal tender process, when concluded the results of the tender will be published on the Procurement Services webpage https://www.gov.im/about-the- government/offices/attorney-generals-chambers/procurement-division/ . This will list the successful and all unsuccessful applicants. e. Hygiene inspection Although the Department provides these services to IOM Meats (and charges IOMM for part of the costs) the difference between what is charged to IOMM and the actual cost is not recorded by the Department. In addition, the Department officers who provide these services to IOMM carry out other Departmental duties which are not linked to IOMM. To compare officer time at the Meat Plant against invoices raised and time spent carrying out other duties for each of the years requested (indeed for any single year) would be a considerable amount of work. Consequently, this information is not held in a format that is readily accessible and is withheld under section 8(3): 8. Right of access to information held by public authorities (3) Nothing in this Act requires a public authority to — (a) create or derive information from information that it holds; (b) undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds; or (c) undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds. Please also see the information that is already public via the link below (under Public information). Information that is accessible to an applicant by other means is absolutely exempt from release under section 20 of the FoIA. f. Carcass classification Please see response above under Hygiene inspection as the same applies. See also the information that is already public via the link below (under Public information). Information that is accessible to an applicant by other means is absolutely exempt from release under section 20 of the FoIA. g. Waste disposal Waste disposal services are supplied to the Meat Plant by the Department of Infrastructure (DoI). Consequently, this Department (DEFA) does not or cannot, after a reasonable search, find the information you request. However some information is already public via the link below (under Public information). Information that is accessible to an applicant by other means is absolutely exempt from release under section 20 of the FoIA. h. Rent discount The landlord of the Meat Plant is the Department of Infrastructure (DoI). Consequently, this Department (DEFA) does not or cannot, after a reasonable search, find the information you request. After consultation with the DoI however we can say that the current rent is subject to a discount (set by the lease) if it is paid by the Tenant within seven days of the invoice dates. Please also see the information that is already public via the link below (under Public information). Information that is accessible to an applicant by other means is absolutely exempt from release under section 20 of the FoIA. i. Outside consultants/advisers Although the Department has sometimes helped with the costs of outside consultants/advisers this is not something that is done on a regular basis. This information is not held in a format that is readily accessible and is withheld under section 8(3). Following a previous FoI request (Case id. 355075, Workplace Compliance Solutions Ltd, 7th November 2017) some information was released and is available here https://iom.icasework.com/servlet/ep.getImg?ref=68002&bin=Y&auth=0&db=ZVD1ZP dIGvo%3D&access_token=RvyreRU6yGF1HV- bDWQzsWRMmwN6PGxF_SBLvqkXh2c%3D.gj3HfSHsLB60jm1tA9guMQ%3D%3D Information that is accessible to an applicant by means other than a Freedom of Information request is exempt from release here under the absolute exemption section 20 of the FoIA. Public information. For your further information much information relating to your request is available in this document on the internet “Livestock pricing by Isle of Man Meats. Equivalency?” by Dr Steve Webster (10th September 2015) https://www.gov.im/media/1355059/livestock-pricing-by- isle-of-man-meats.pdf Isle of Man Meat Company Ltd Since the 29th March 2018 the Meat Plant is now operated by a new company, Isle of Man Meat Company Ltd, and the entire operation will be closely monitored by the Department. The finances will be subject to quarterly review and an officer of the Department has a seat on the Board. 2. Request “details of the number of hours and costs of DEFA staff not included above spent on work related to Isle of Man Meats and/or the abattoir for each of the years in question” Response While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. DEFA does not hold detailed information on officers who conduct work related to IOM Meats. These officers carry out other (and numerous) duties for the Department and the costs related to each area of work are not analysed to the level of detail that would answer this question. Consequently, this information is not held in a format that is readily accessible and is withheld under section 8(3). I have detailed below the information that is held.

Please quote the reference number 530733 in any future communications.

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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. Yours sincerely

Frank Harrison