Kia ora,

I’m making this Official Information Act request as part of ADHDInquiryNZ, a grassroots, unfunded, and non-partisan volunteer initiative supporting a public petition calling for a Parliamentary inquiry into systemic harm to people with ADHD in Aotearoa. This request focuses on information held by your agency to help identify how ADHD is currently recognised within existing systems. The information gathered from this and related requests will be used to help identify any patterns across agencies and will contribute to the evidence provided to the Petitions Committee when the petition period closes. I appreciate the time involved in OIA responses.

Please treat this as a request for official information under the OIA. I am requesting the specific information listed below. I understand the agency’s obligation to assist under s 13 and that a decision should be made within 20 working days of receipt (transfer within 10 working days). If any part of this request requires clarification, please let me know no later than 5 working days from receipt. If an extension under s 15A is needed, please state the reason and duration. This request is confined to information held by DPMC; please do not transfer for commentary.

Timeframe:
This request covers the period 1 January 2015 to the date this request is received.

Format:
Where datasets, tables, or modelling outputs are provided, I request they be supplied in machine readable format (CSV or original spreadsheet file) along with any data dictionaries or field definitions. A machine-readable format is requested to minimise collation and preserve original structure.

Scope clarification to reduce unnecessary work:
To streamline this request, I am not seeking internal email chains, drafts, or personal information about individuals unless they are the only holders of the substantive information described.
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18(f) due to substantial collation, please identify that specific part early so I can refine it.

Please provide:

1. Any documentation, advice, or briefings since 2015 regarding cross-agency coordination, governance, or strategy for ADHD.

2. Please provide any Cabinet papers, Cabinet Office Circulars, regulatory impact statements, or ministerial briefings in which ADHD is identified as a risk, inequity, or priority since 2015.

3. Any references to ADHD in Cabinet papers or inter-departmental committees relating to mental health, neurodiversity, or disability policy.

4. Any acknowledgement of systemic gaps or equity issues for ADHD within inter-agency work.

5. If no such information is held, please confirm and state whether ADHD has ever been considered under other national strategies (e.g., Autism Guideline or Mental Health and Addiction Strategy).

6. Please provide any documents, advice, or correspondence since 2015 in which your agency discussed or commented on the potential benefit or need for a coordinated, cross-sector national ADHD strategy. (This refers to a coordinated, cross-sector ADHD strategy across government systems, distinct from the Ministry of Health’s clinical framework.)

7. Please provide any cross-agency evaluation, performance, or accountability frameworks that include ADHD outcomes or measures. If none exist, please confirm this.

8. Please confirm whether any ministry has been assigned formal oversight responsibility for ADHD policy, coordination, or strategy across government. If no such assignment exists, please confirm this.

If your agency does not hold some or all of the information requested, that absence also helps clarify how ADHD is currently recognised, prioritised, or governed across the public sector. Identifying such gaps is part of building the evidence base for an informed, coordinated response.

Please confirm if the information is not held by your agency, and include any existing documents or correspondence that record a decision not to collect, monitor, or coordinate ADHD related information. If applicable, please also indicate how related matters are categorised (for example, under neurodiversity, mental health, behavioural conditions, disability, or broader social sector work).

Ngā mihi,
Elspeth Baker-Vevers