Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested details of the contributions received by the public authority in support of two published reports relating to the Armed Forces (Service Command Paper and The National Recognition Study Report). The public authority withheld the requested information on the basis of the exemptions at sections 40(2) (personal data), 41 (information provided in confidence) and 36(2)(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views for purposes of deliberation). The Commissioner decided that contributions in support of the Service Command Paper were correctly withheld on the basis of section 40(2) and those in support of the National Recognition Study were correctly withheld on the basis of section 36(2)(b)(ii). The Commissioner however finds the public authority in breach of section 17(1) (refusal of request).
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 17 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 36 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Not upheld