OIA#2943

Anna Wilson
[FYI request #27143 email]

5 August 2024

Tēnā koe Anna

Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 25 June 2024, and
further refined on 26 June 2024, to the Ministry of Disabled People - Whaikaha (the
Ministry), requesting correspondence relating to flexible funding.
1) All correspondence between Brian Coffey and Minister Simmonds' office
(including Minister Simmonds, political staff, and seconded private secretaries)
for the time period 01 February to 01 May
As advised previously, Brian became a Private Secretary in the office of the Minister
for Disability Issues on 5 February 2024, therefore we have only conducted a search
of emails for the time period 1 – 4 February 2024.
No relevant text messages or emails were found in scope of your request as Brian did
not correspond with Hon Simmonds’ office about flexible funding during this period.
2) All correspondence between Emma Williams and Minister Simmonds' office
(including Minister Simmonds, political staff, and seconded private secretaries),
for the time period 01 February to 01 May
Please refer to the attached Appendix for emails relating to flexible funding between
Emma and Minister Simmonds’ office, during the period 1 February 2024 – 1 May
2024.
Some information has been withheld under the following sections of the OIA:
•  9(2)(a) - to protect the privacy of natural persons
•  9(2)(g)(i) - to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free
and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or
members of an organisation or officers and employees of any public service
agency or organisation in the course of their duty.
Information that is not within the scope of your request has been marked and
redacted accordingly.

Emma is the manager of the Ministerial and Executive Services Team (MaES).  She is
often passed requests from the Minister’s office where they are seeking to advice
about how to respond letters sent to the Minister by members of the general public.
To protect the privacy of natural persons, I have withheld emails about
correspondence from the general public, under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA.
I have also withheld email threads where the Ministry provides advice about how to
answer Oral Parliamentary Questions. The Minster’s responses to these questions are
publicly available on the parliament.govt.nz website.
The draft document attached to Brian’s email dated 18 April 2024 is withheld under
section 9(2)(g)(i) of the OIA.
Where relevant, attachments to emails have been included, except in circumstances
where the final document is publicly available. The following publicly available
documents are referenced in the Appendix:
•  REP/WHK/24/2/018 Changes to Equipment and Modification
•  Memorandum to Minister: Update on implementing changes to EMS and flexible
funding to manage Whaikaha expenditure
If you wish to discuss this response with us, or if you are seeking any further
information, please contact [Ministry for Disabled People request email].
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to seek an investigation
and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is
available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui

Hayley Evans
Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate Services

Document Outline