23 October 2025
Ms S Smith
[FYI request #32579 email]
Ref: PMO OIA 594-2025-26
Dear Ms S Smith
Official Information Act request: Requests for the public for assistance with
purchasing household items
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request, received on 15 October
2025. You requested:
“I would like to know if you have received any emails asking for help in
purchasing any household items, such as groceries, hygiene products or
gardening supplies from any member of the public. I would appreciate if the
Prime Minister can show me all emails of such nature received during his current
term.
If such requests have been recieved, I would like the following details:
- How many such requests have been made by the public to the Prime Ministers’
email or the Office of the Prime Minister?
- What are the most requested items?
- Has the Office of the Prime Minister replied to any requests of this nature?
- How many requests were fulfil ed, if any?
- Total cost incurred by the Office of the Prime Minister towards helping
individuals with household supplies.
Further to this, I would also like to see any official correspondence around this
matter, and all documentation on how decisions were made.”
The Prime Minister’s Office receives a large amount of correspondence. No emails from
members of the public asking for help in purchasing any household items, such as groceries,
hygiene products or gardening supplies have been identified.
On this basis, I am refusing your request in its entirety under section 18(e) of the Act on the
basis that no such correspondence exists. As per section 18(B) we have considered whether
consulting you would enable us to answer your request. However, we do not consider that
the request could be refined in this instance.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under
section 28(3) of the Act.
Yours sincerely
Cameron Burrows
Chief of Staff