FOI release

Freedom of Information request on ICT department strategy and plans (FOI 21-234)

Published 28 May 2021

© Crown copyright 2021

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7th April 2021 FOI 21/234

Dear

Thank you for your email of 8 March 2021, requesting under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act documents relating to internal plans and strategy documents around ICT:

  1. ICT/IM&T/IS Strategy- The IT department strategy or plans, highlights their current and future objectives.
  2. ICT Org Chart- A visual document that present the structure of the IT department, please include name and job titles. If this can’t be sent please work towards a structure with job titles.
  3. ICT Annual or Business Plan- Similar to the ICT strategy but is more annually focused.
  4. ICT Capital Programme/budget- A document that shows financials budget on current and future projects.

I am pleased to provide you with some of the information requested, see below. Explanations for the information provided are stated in blue.

Unfortunately, some of the information is exempt from release under section 43.

  1. ICT/IM&T/IS Strategy- The IT department strategy or plans, highlights their current and future objectives. The current Digital Strategy is attached. See attached file: Digital-Strategy-Programmes-against-Priorities.pdf The Agency’s new Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Strategy is currently in preparation. Subject to Board approval, the DDaT strategy should be available in the summer.

  2. ICT Org Chart- A visual document that present the structure of the IT department, please include name and job titles. If this can’t be sent please work towards a structure with job titles. See attached file: TD3-Org-Chart-April2021.pdf It is not our practise to make staff details publicly available.

  3. ICT Annual or Business Plan- Similar to the ICT strategy but is more annually focused. The current business plan is publicly available on .gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency-business-plan-2020-to-2021 See Sections 4 and 5. The new business plan is in preparation and should be published on .gov.uk in the summer.

  4. ICT Capital Programme/budget- A document that shows financials budget on current and future projects. This information is exempt from release under section 43.

Section 43 – Commercial interests: information where disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person, including third parties or the public authority that holds the information. Section 43 is a qualified exemption, which means that we have considered whether the public interest in releasing the information is outweighed by the public interest in not giving the information. In favour of disclosure, we consider that there is a general public benefit from transparency. However, we consider that the public interest will be better served by not releasing the information due to commercial sensitivity. Releasing the information would also prejudice the Agency’s commercial interests in this case and in future. As a market regulator, it is vital that the Agency can freely engage in dialogue with organisations about commercial activities.

The Freedom of Information Act only entitles you to access to information – the information supplied is subject to Crown copyright, and there are some restrictions on its re-use. For information on the reproduction or re-use of MHRA information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reproduce-or-re-use-mhra-information/reproduce-or-re-use-mhra-information.

If you disagree with how we have interpreted the Freedom of Information Act 2000 with regards to your request, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed. The review will be carried out by a senior member of the Agency who was not involved with the original decision.

If you have a query about the information provided, please reply to this email.

Yours sincerely

MHRA Customer Service Centre

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU

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