133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
13 May 2020
Andrew Ecclestone
By email: [FYI request #12685 email]
Ref: H202002566
Dear Mr Ecclestone
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health (the Ministry) on 22 April 2020 for:
“Recommendation 8 of Dr Verrall's report states: "The Ministry of Health should rapidly
complete development of a smartphone app to assist contact tracing and pilot it in New
Zealand."
(1) Please provide me with the name and email address for the senior official responsible
for the project to procure or develop this smartphone app.
(2) Please provide me with the name(s) of any or all companies that the Ministry of Health
is working with to develop this smartphone app.”
Information in response to your questions is outlined below.
(1) Provide me with the name and email address for the senior official responsible for the
project to procure or develop this smartphone app.
Jon Herries, Group Manager of Emerging Health Technologies & Innovation in the Ministry’s
Data and Digital Directorate is the senior official responsible for the operation of the contact
tracing application. The contact email address of Mr Herries is [email address].
(2) Provide me with the name(s) of any or all companies that the Ministry of Health is
working with to develop this smartphone app.
Information regarding the companies working alongside the Ministry on the contact tracing
application will be made public when the application is launched. As such your request for this
information is refused in accordance with section 18(d) of the Act as the information will soon be
publicly available.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website.
Gaynor Bradfield
Manager Office of the Deputy Director-General
Data and Digital
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