Summary: The complainant requested names of individuals referred to in documents held by the MHRA about a specific product, rofecoxib. The MHRA refused to disclose this information on the grounds that it was exempt under section 38 (Health and Safety) and section 36 (Prejudice to the Effective Conduct of Public Affairs). The Commissioner has decided that section 38 has been correctly applied by the MHRA and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure, and so the Agency was justified in withholding information revealing the names of individuals in a way that links them to a specific product, inspection or investigation. As the Commissioner decided that the information was exempt under section 38, he has considered the application of section 36 in Decision Notice.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 38 - Complaint Not upheld