P-655

The Ministry of Health (the Ministry) received a request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) for access to "all working documents, reports, memoranda, correspondence and any other record of information" related to applications by a named company (the Company) to relocate its laboratory and specimen collection centres (SCC's) from three specific locations. The Ministry located 119 records which were responsive to the first of the three locations identified in the request. No records responsive to the other two locations were located.

The Company was notified of the request by the Ministry pursuant to section 28(1) of the Act, and was invited to make representations on whether the documents should be released. The Company objected to the disclosure of all responsive records. Despite the Company's objections, the Ministry decided to release the records to the requester, subject to certain severances. The Company appealed the Ministry's decision to disclose the records.

Mediation was not successful, and notice that an inquiry was being conducted to review the Ministry's decision was sent to the Company, the original requester and the Ministry. Representations were received from the Company and the original requester.

Prior to proceeding to inquiry, the original requester requested access to the representations of the Company and to a copy of the records for the purpose of argument at the inquiry. Neither of these two matters was pursued at inquiry, however, and I will not consider them further in this order.

• FIPPA

• Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act
• Résumé