FOI 04-25: Information regarding the government’s policies on preparedness for emergencies in regards to current inventory levels of critical supplies, storage locations, and inventory management

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

12 March 2025

Our Ref: FoI 04-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 2 January 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Your request was as follows--

'I am requesting information regarding the government’s preparedness for emergencies, specifically related to the inventory of critical supplies. Please provide the following details:

1. Current Inventory Levels

    • The total quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, gowns, and face shields, held in government stockpiles as of January 1st 2025.
    • The total quantities of emergency food supplies held in government stockpiles as of the same date.

2. Storage Locations

    • The number and regional distribution of storage facilities holding these critical supplies.

3. Inventory Management

    • Any assessments, audits, or reports conducted from 2020 to 2024 on the adequacy and condition of these stockpiles.
    • Records of instances where critical supplies were depleted or insufficient during emergencies over the past three years.

4. Acquisition and Renewal

    • Details of contracts or agreements for procuring critical supplies between 2020 and 2024.
    • Policies regarding the replenishment or rotation of supplies to prevent expiration or obsolescence.

5. Future Planning

    • Any documented plans or strategies for scaling up inventory in preparation for potential future emergencies.'

 

Our response

Question 1-3

The Northern Ireland Assembly is the legislature for Northern Ireland and is not part of the government of Northern Ireland.  The Assembly Commission does not hold information in relation to request for Questions 1-3.

 

Question 4 (acquisition and renewal)

The Assembly Commission does not hold government policies regarding the replenishment or rotation of supplies to prevent expiration or obsolescence. 

Certain information on details of contracts or agreements for procuring critical supplies between 2020 and 2024 was provided to the Assembly’s Committee for Finance (‘the Committee’) in a letter with annexes from the Department of Finance (‘the Department’) dated 1 July 2020. A copy of the letter can be obtained my emailing the Information Standards team at foi@niassembly.gov.uk.

The Annexes to this letter contained information relevant to question 4 but are exempt from disclosure under section 41 of the FOIA (information provided in confidence).  This information was protectively marked ‘confidential’ and was considered in closed session.  The Assembly Commission considers that disclosure of this information to the public by the Assembly Commission would constitute a breach of confidence actionable by the Department.  The Department has also indicated that certain of this information may be the subject of a Restriction Order made by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005.

Section 41 of the FOIA is a qualified exemption and the Assembly Commission has considered whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

The Assembly Commission considers that the following factors are relevant to maintaining the exemption:

  • The information was clearly communicated to the Committee in confidence, and had the Department or the Committee intended that it be public the Committee would not have considered the information in closed session.
  • The Department has confirmed that the material was provided in confidence and that its disclosure would have a detrimental effect on its legal and commercial interests.
  • The disclosure of the information would prejudice the ability for all committees of the Assembly to take evidence in confidence from government departments and have a material and adverse effect on the committee scrutiny role set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
  • The information has been provided to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, and disclosure of confidential information otherwise than in accordance with the directions of the Inquiry could adversely affect the legal position of the Department.
  • The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is judge-led and is best placed to assess the confidential elements of the material and decide what should be published.

 

The Assembly Commission considers that the following factors are relevant to maintaining the exemption:

  • Public interest in the manner in which committees of the Assembly discharge their scrutiny role.

 

In this case, the Assembly Commission has concluded that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

 

Question 5 (Future Planning)

The Assembly’s Committee for Health received a briefing from the Department of Health on 9 January 2025 in relation to a committee evidence session on 16 January 2025 which contains information relevant to this question. The relevant paragraph is set out below. 

‘A bid totaling £20.5m has been submitted for an interim pandemic preparedness stockpile of PPE and hygiene consumables. At the start of COVID-19, the UK observed increased lead in times and price increases for hygiene consumable products with PPE pandemic stockpile items being released and, in some instances, exhausted. Given the current and ongoing risk of another pandemic or infectious disease outbreak as outlined in the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA), UKHSA and DHSC has recommend re-establishing an interim pandemic preparedness stockpile of PPE and hygiene consumables across the four nations. A number of options were considered such as replenishing to Pre-Covid volumes, using the Barnett share of English interim target volumes or setting NI interim target volumes based on DHSC methodology using NI usage date’.

 

Further Information

Individual Members may have asked Assembly questions on these subjects. All questions and answers received are published on the Assembly’s website and are searchable, using this link.

Members may also have tabled motions or other types of Assembly business on these topics. All items of Assembly business, including motions, are published on the Assembly’s website, and are searchable using this link.

 

Review

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission.  If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address.  If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised. 

Yours faithfully

Data Protection and Governance Officer

Information Standards