133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
13 February 2024
J Bruning
By email: [email address]
Ref:
H2023033842
Tēnā koe
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 - Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 8 December 2023. We note that you made 4 similar
requests on 8 December 2023, for information specifically held by individual directorates within
the Ministry. The current request specified:
“This request is specifically directed to Deputy Director-General – Is Dean Rutherford ,
who is responsible for Evidence Research and Innovation and staff within this directorate. Please do not transfer this request to any other department or Directorate.”
You requested:
1. Budget for this team for the current and estimated next (2024/2025) financial year.
The budget for the Evidence, Research and Innovation for the 2023/24 financial year is $20.341
million. The 2024/25 budget has not been allocated or estimated.
2. Income of the Deputy Director-General Strategy Policy and Legislation, and
numbers of team members and the incomes of the senior leadership team.
The requested information is provided in the tables below. Please note, we have interpreted this
request to be for information pertaining to the Evidence, Research and Innovation directorate.
Information regarding the System, Strategy and Policy directorate is provided under OIA
reference: H2023033842.
Table 1. Deputy Director-General and Senior Leadership incomes
Position
Pay-band
Pay-band Midpoint
Deputy Director-General
24E
$286,992
Chief Science Advisor
21G
$175,627
Chief Health Economist
21G
$175,627
Chief Advisor Horizon Scanning
21G
$175,627
Group Manager – Evidence
22G
$216,144
Research and Analytics
Group Manager –Research
22G
$216,144
Evaluation & Innovation
Manager – Office of the Deputy
20G
$157,408
Director-General
Table 2. Deputy Director-General team members
Position
Direct Reports
Indirect Reports
Total
Deputy Director-General
7
71
77
Chief Science Advisor
9 (Includes 2
0
9
interns)
Chief Health Economist
4 (includes 1
0
4
intern)
Chief Advisor Horizon Scanning
0
0
0
Group Manager – Evidence Research
6
32 (includes 4
38
and Analytics
interns)
Group Manager –Research Evaluation & 2
17
19
Innovation
Manager – Office of the Deputy Director-
1
0
1
General
3. Terms of reference/expectations for this team and the name of the head of
department that established the terms of reference/expectations.
There are no “terms of reference/ expectations” for the Evidence, Research and Innovation
directorate.
4. Information held by or requested by this directorate including
research/memos/advice/emails relating to: a. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in New Zealand, a cluster of symptoms
characterised by central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and insulin resistance. b. Current and predicted cost to the health system from metabolic syndrome which
presents as multimorbidity (i.e. cost of multimorbidity for those diagnosed with metabolic
syndrome). c. Metabolic syndrome and multimorbidity as a risk factor for viral and bacteriological
infections. d. Metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for poor mental health. e. Socioeconomic status as a predictor for metabolic syndrome. f. Diet high in ultraprocessed food as a predictor for metabolic syndrome. g. Population level data relating to nutrient deficiency (which may include but is not
limited to vitamins B,D,C and iron) by age and socio-economic status. 6. Information held by or requested by this directorate including
research/memos/advice/emails for long-term strategy, setting direction and priority areas
for investment which discusses ultraprocessed food and the consequent health-related
cost to New Zealand (including cost/benefits based on life-stage: pregnancy/prenatal,
infancy, childhood, youth, adulthood, elderly). a. Cost/benefit of reducing ultraprocessed food consumption to improve mental health
and/or metabolic syndrome in terms of reduction of years of healthy life lost due to
disability (YLDs) and years lost due to premature mortality (YLLs). b. Cost/benefit: Public education on healthy cooking food preparation and cost/benefit
for education by life-stage. c. Cost/benefit: Public education campaign: Diet quality/nutrition status as a predictor
for mental health risk; diabetes risk; and/or cancer risk. d. Analyses/Reviews undertaken by this directorate: (i) Meta-analyses to identify effectiveness of nutrition as protective for mental health. (ii) Countries that tax ultraprocessed food (UPF) and/or sugar sweetened beverages; tax
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levels, food products targeted for taxation, year established. (iii) White paper/scientific reviews on the effectiveness of UPF tax policies.
On 14 December 2023 we contacted you to clarify parts 4-6 your request and advised Manatū
Hauora (the Ministry of Health) does not widely use the metabolic syndrome classification. We
asked you to clarify if you are seeking information specifically about metabolic syndrome only,
or have a broader interest in obesity, diabetes, hypertension etc. Your clarified request of 22
December 2023 is copied and responded to below.
4. Information held by or requested by this directorate including
research/memos/advice/emails relating to: a. Metabolic syndrome is recognised by the World Health Organization. Any reports and
white papers held which reference metabolic syndrome (a cluster of symptoms
characterised by central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and insulin resistance). b. Current and predicted cost to the health system from multimorbidity (i.e. cost of
multimorbidity) for those diagnosed with Cardiovascular Disease or at risk for
Cardiovascular Disease. c. Diabetes status as a risk factor for viral and bacteriological infections. d. Diet/nutrition status as a risk factor for poor mental health. e. Socioeconomic status as a predictor for cardiovascular disease. f. Diet high in ultraprocessed food as a predictor for cardiovascular disease. g. Population level data relating to nutrient deficiency (which may include but is not limited
to vitamins B,D,C and iron) by age and socio-economic status.
The Evidence Research and Innovation directorate does not hold any information in scope of
part 4 of your request as this is not part of the directorate’s current work programme. The
Ministry recognises that eating well is fundamental to good mental wellbeing and supports our
goal of Pae Ora – Healthy Futures for all New Zealanders.
6. Information held by or requested by this directorate including
research/memos/advice/emails for long-term strategy, setting direction and priority areas
for investment which discusses ultraprocessed food and the consequent health-related
cost to New Zealand (including cost/benefits based on life-stage: pregnancy/prenatal,
infancy, childhood, youth, adulthood, elderly). a. Cost/benefit of reducing ultraprocessed food consumption to improve mental health
and/or metabolic syndrome in terms of reduction of years of healthy life lost due to
disability (YLDs) and years lost due to premature mortality (YLLs). b. Cost/benefit: Public education on healthy cooking food preparation and cost/benefit for
education by life-stage. c. Cost/benefit: Public education campaign: Diet quality/nutrition status as a predictor for
mental health risk; diabetes risk; and/or cancer risk. d. Analyses/Reviews undertaken by this directorate: (i) Meta-analyses to identify effectiveness of nutrition as protective for mental health. (ii) Countries that tax ultraprocessed food (UPF) and/or sugar sweetened beverages; tax
levels, food products targeted for taxation, year established. (iii) White paper/scientific reviews on the effectiveness of UPF tax policies.
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One document has been identified in scope of this part of your request. This document is the
Appendix to an NZIER updated report to the Ministry (July 2023)
titled: A sweeter deal?
Updating the evidence on sugar tax with a focus on real world experience. The document is
appended to this letter and released to you in full.
Please note, the full report will soon be made publicly available on the Ministry’s website.
I trust this information fulfils your request. If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with
us, including this decision, please feel free to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Dean Rutherford
Deputy Director-General
Evidence, Research and Innovation
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