Information Commissioner's Office

Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

15 December 2008, Central government

The complainant wrote to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to request information regarding export licence applications made by a named company. The public authority refused to disclose the specific details of the export licence applications by relying on section 41 of the Act. The Commissioner has examined the withheld information and has found that it was provided to the public authority in confidence and that therefore the section 41 exemption is engaged. The complainant also requested details of a director of this company and the Commissioner found that the public authority correctly withheld this information under section 40(2) of the Act. However the Commissioner found that the public authority breached section 10(1) and section 17(1)(c) of the Act in its handling of the complainant’s request. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2009/0002 dismissed.

FOI 10: Upheld FOI 17: Upheld FOI 40: Not upheld