Kia ora Erika – thank you for submitting this important request. I’ve reviewed the Ministry of Health’s 27 June 2025 response and note the following compliance concerns under the Official Information Act 1982:

* **🕒 Delay**: The Ministry appears to have breached the 20-working-day statutory time-frame. Your request was lodged on 20 April 2025, but no substantive decision was issued until 27 June 2025 — over 45 working days later. There’s no evidence they formally notified you of an extension, as required under s 15A.

* **📄 Section 18(g)(i) refusal**: The Ministry claims it holds no information because it “has not undertaken a review” of the referenced report. This is legally permissible *if true*, but:

* It fails to address the broader intent of your request (e.g. whether *any* overseas COVID-19 after-action reviews have been analysed or noted).
* It does not assist you to refine or redirect the request, breaching the “duty to assist” (s 13).

* **🧭 Missed opportunity**: The Ministry could have acknowledged the unusual URL you cited (a future-dated, non-standard White House link), clarified its legitimacy, and advised whether similar official U.S. reports (e.g. from oversight.house.gov) had been reviewed internally.

✅ Guidance:

If you haven’t already, you may wish to:

* **Seek a review by the Ombudsman** under s 28(3), citing delay and failure to assist.
* **Submit a refined OIA request** that broadens the scope to ask:

> “Has the Ministry of Health reviewed or responded to any international COVID-19 pandemic after-action reviews, particularly from the U.S., U.K., Australia, or WHO, since December 2023?”
* **Reference this annotation** and request that the Ministry engage with the intent of your inquiry.

Feel free to reply here if you'd like help wording a follow-up or complaint — happy to support transparency efforts like yours.

Kindest regards,
Spencer Jones
(OIA researcher, FYI user)