Freedom of Information request - Commission on the Funding of Care and Support

Below is the text of a FOI request I have submitted to the Department of Health concerning the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support. This is ahead of a key milestone for that Commission, which I'm anticipating they will miss (details here). I don't necessarily like being a pain in the arse, but this topic is too important to have languishing around.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would be grateful if you could provide me with the following information. All questions relate to the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support (“the Commission”) which was announced by the Secretary of State on 20 July 2010.

The Commission’s personnel and budget

• There are 3 members of the Commission. What was the process for selecting the members of the Commission?
• Was a longlist drawn up of potential members for the Commission?
• If so, who was on this longlist?
• Overall, what is the remuneration package being made available to each member of the Commission?
• How many full-time equivalent (fte) civil servants are being made available to administer the Commission?
• What is the total budget for the Commission (a) in 2010/11? and (b) in 2011/12?

Meetings of the Commission

• The Commission was announced on 20 July 2010. How many times since then have the members of the Commission met: (a) with each other? (b) with the Secretary of State or the Minister for Care Services (or their representatives)? (c) with either of the two expert independent panels mentioned below? (d) with the external reference group mentioned below?
• How many meetings of the Commission are planned between today (Monday 20 September) and the publication of the Comprehensive Spending Review results on 20 October 2010?
• How many meetings of the Commission are planned in 2010/11?
• What are the dates of any planned meetings?
• Will minutes of any meetings of the Commission be made publicly available?
• Will the agenda and any corresponding papers relating to meetings of the Commission be made publicly available?

Announced external input to the Commission

The Commission has two expert independent panels: one comprising of academics and the other of experts drawn from the financial services industry.

• Have the members of these panels been selected?
• If so, who are the members of each panel?
• If not, what is the intended date by which the members of each panel will be announced?

The Commission’s Terms of Reference suggest the Chair considers convening an external reference group representing, as a minimum, older people, working-age disabled adults, carers, those commissioning and delivering care (including local authorities) and the financial services sector.

• Has this external reference group been formed?
• If so, who are its members?
• If not, what is the intended date by which the members of the external reference group will be announced?
• What is the proposed process by which members of the external reference group will be selected?

Thank you in advance for your answers to each of the above.