FOI2025/00433 – PIE meeting attendee information
Published 19 March 2026
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Your request
Please can you include the names of those present in the NOV 25 minutes of the PIE meeting. Who is the current chair and who are attendees from the different agencies?
Our reply
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Section 40(2) provides an exemption for personal data where disclosure would breach any of the data protection principles under the UK GDPR. This means that if releasing the names of individuals would be unfair or unlawful, we are legally permitted to withhold them.
For non-senior officials, disclosure is generally considered unfair because:
- Reasonable expectation of privacy: Non-senior staff do not hold public-facing roles and would not reasonably expect their names to be published in response to an FOI request.
- No added public interest: Identifying those staff rarely contributes to transparency or accountability, as their roles are operational rather than decision-making.
- Risk of harm or intrusion: Publishing names could expose individuals to unwanted contact or reputational risk without a legitimate reason.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidance supports this approach. We have disclosed the names of senior officials, such as the Chair and Directors, because they have a higher public profile and accountability. By providing job titles and organisations, we meet the public interest in understanding the roles represented at the meeting without breaching privacy rights.
List of attendees at the cross‑government PiE Group meeting on 25 November 2025
| Name | Job title | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Weeks | PiE Group Chair | VPC |
| Gavin Hall | Director of Authorisations & Deputy CEO | VMD |
| [Redacted] | Senior Environmental Safety Assessor | VMD |
| [Redacted] | Parasiticide Stewardship & Evidence Manager | VMD |
| [Redacted] | Senior Advisor, Biologically Active Substances Chemicals Surveillance and Emerging Risks Team | EA |
| [Redacted] | Principal Specialist Scientist | SEPA |
| [Redacted] | Head of Policy | MHRA |
| [Redacted] | Head of Department, Veterinary Medicinal Products | Austrian Medicines and Medical Devices Agency – Observer |
| [Redacted] | Veterinary Advisor | WG |
| [Redacted] | Senior Pollution Advisor | JNCC |
| [Redacted] | Senior Pollution Adviser | JNCC |
| [Redacted] | Veterinary Lead, Parasitology | APHA |
| [Redacted] | Principal Toxicologist | UKHSA |
| [Redacted] | Senior Evidence Analyst | WG |
| [Redacted] | Specialist Advisor, Sustainable Water (Chemicals) | NRW |
| [Redacted] | Head of Water Chemistry Group | DAERA |
| [Redacted] | Senior Specialist, Ecotoxicology | NE |
| [Redacted] | Scientist | Defra |