Summary: The complainant requested information held by the House Lords Appointments Commission (HLAC) relating to the appointment of Lord Hameed to the peerage. The HLAC provided a small amount of information in response to this request but withheld further information on the basis of the exemptions contained at sections 37(1)(b) -“ conferring of a honour by the Crown; 40(2) -“ personal data; and 41(1) -“ information provided in confidence. The Commissioner is satisfied that the majority of the information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 37(1)(b) and the public interest favours maintaining the exemption. The Commissioner is also satisfied that a small amount of information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 23(1) -“ information supplied by or relating to security bodies. However, the Commissioner has also concluded that the public interest under section 37(1)(b) favours disclosing a small amount of information.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 23 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 37 - Complaint Partly Upheld