Dear Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,

Chapter 2 of the Cabinet Manual gives guidance on gifts made to Ministers. In particular, it notes that

"Ministers who accept gifts worth more than the prescribed value [$500] must not only disclose them to the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament, but also must relinquish them, unless they obtain the express permission of the Prime Minister to retain them."

I am curious as to how this is managed, and would therefore like to request the following information under the Official Information Act 1982:

* In what form are s2.79 authorisations to retain gifts typically given? Written or verbal?
* Are any records kept of such authorisations? If so, what information is typically recorded?
* Are there any delegations in place to allow others to authorise the retention of gifts on behalf of the Prime Minister?

I would prefer to receive an electronic response. Queries about this request will be automatically forwarded to me by the fyi.org.nz website.

Yours faithfully,

Alex Harris

Dear Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,

A response to this request was due yesterday, and it now seems to be late. Will I be receiving a response any time soon?

Yours faithfully,

Alex Harris