Office of Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Minister for Auckland
22 April 2025
John Wilson
By email:
[FYI request #30475 email]
Ref:
SBOIA25-624
Dear John
Response to your request for information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 20 March
2025 to the Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown. As you will be aware, the Minister is
focused on delivering access to timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders.
You requested:
All communication with David Seymour or his office regarding the directive from
National Public Health Service director Dr. Nick Chamberlain that requires medical
officers of health to seek national-level approval before making public health
statements.
All communication with Dr. Nick Chamberlain on the same topic.
All communication with Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora on the same topic.
Searches of our information systems have identified two sets of communications in scope of
your request. Please find these attached. Some information has been withheld under section
9(2)(a) of the Act, to protect the privacy of natural persons.
Where information is withheld under section 9 of the Act, I have considered the public
interest in releasing the information. However, I do not consider that this public interest
outweighs the need to withhold at this time.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
<[)C�
Brian Anderton
Senior Ministerial Advisor
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand I +64 4 817 6804 I [Simeon Brown request email]
Communications In Scope of the Request
Date
From
To
Communication
20/03/2024
Hon David Seymour
Hon Simeon Brown
Text:
20/03/2024
Hon Simeon Brown
Hon David Seymour
Text:
“Thank you”
From:
Grace Davies
To:
Adeline Cumings
Cc:
Nick Chamberlain
Subject:
RE: Actions taken re Wanaka Submission
Date:
Friday, 29 November 2024 2:26:00 pm
Attachments:
image002.jpg
image003.png
Thanks for this Adeline, much appreciated
Ngā mihi,
Grace Davies
Private Secretary (Health) | Office of Hon Dr Shane Reti
Minister of Health
Minister for Pacific Peoples
M: s 9(2)(a)
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
1982
From: Adeline Cumings
Sent: Friday, 29 November 2024 1:47 PM
ACT
To: Grace Davies
Cc: Nick Chamberlain
Subject: Actions taken re Wanaka Submission
Kia ora Grace
Out of Scope
From now on, all potential submissions, local or regional will come to Nick’s Office (my team) for approval to proceed or
not. They will have to meet appropriate Public Health criteria which will be much more stringent than the current Health
In All Policies criteria, as well as having a reasonable chance of influencing a decision. Irrespective of whether we are
INFORMATION
requested to submit or not, we will only be submitting on issues of Public Health concern. We will not be submitting on
the Resource Management Act etc.
Once the submission is written, it will need sign-off from the National Director or Deputy National Director via the Office.
This is a temporary measure as we develop new guidelines and complete our NPHS reset.
Out of Scope
OFFICIAL
We are also
establishing a National Clinical Director (Public Health Medicine Specialist) for Health Promotion. We will consider
whether this role along with the existing Clinical Director Health Protection have longer term sign-off, or whether it
THE
reverts to a regional sign-off process under strict criteria.
Ngā mihi,
Adeline Cumings
Head of Business Services
National Public Health Service
UNDER
waea pūkoro: s 9(2)(a)
Kia ora, I have sent this email at a time convenient for me. I do not expect you to respond outside your working hours.
Statement of confidentiality: This email message and any accompanying attachments may contain information that is
IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message
RELEASED
