[ RadSafe ] RE FOI and data supporting epidemiological studies

[Fred Dawson]

I think it highly unlikely that and the officials mentioned will say 
anything at the moment in relation to this particular case. They would wish 
to avoid prejudicing the case which now appears a matter for the Courts to 
decide.



The issue being on how to balance the duties placed by the Data Protection 
and Freedom of Information Acts.



I am sure that the decision when it comes will be of interest and assistance 
to all those engaged in epidemiological research.



Fred Dawson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Salsman" <james at bovik.org>
To: <dsc-hpad at mod.uk>
Cc: <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] RE FOI and data supporting epidemiological studies


>> The Sunday Herald reports 2nd October 2005
>>
>> http://www.sundayherald.com/52028
>>
>> THE Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, is being taken to
>> court by the National Health Service in an attempt to keep controversial
>> cancer statistics secret. This is the first legal challenge to Dunion,
>> who has been overseeing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act since it
>> came into force at the beginning of the year....
>>
>> In January, Chris Ballance, the Green MSP for the South of Scotland,
>> asked the NHS Common Services Agency (CSA) to provide the annual
>> incidence of childhood leukaemia in every Census ward in Dumfries and
>> Galloway from 1990 to 2003....
>
> How many people are in a U.K. Census ward?  Is the problem that some
> of the wards have only one or a few people in them?
>
> I look forward to learning the opinions of the following ministers
> overseeing the NHS and officials on the question of what size of
> aggregation granularity is necessary to protect privacy in
> epidemiological studies:
>
> The Right Honorable Jane Kennedy, MP, Minister of State for Quality
> and Patient Safety
>
> Professor Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer
>
> The Right Honorable Patricia Hewitt, MP, Secretary of State for Health
>
> Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director
>
> Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer
>
> I trust that the U.K. press will not miss this opportunity to learn
> what these responsible officials think about this first attempt to
> limit their new freedom of information law.
>
> Sincerely,
> James Salsman
>
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