Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested information about the Channel project, which is a counter-terrorism project that aims to intervene and assist individuals who are at risk of becoming involved in violent extremism. The public authority refused the request and cited a number of exemptions, including that provided by section 31(1)(a) (prejudice to the prevention or detection of crime) of the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner finds that this exemption was applied correctly and so the public authority is not required to disclose the requested information. However, the Commissioner also finds that the public authority did not comply with all of its procedural obligations under the Act in that it responded to the request late, did not specify which sub-section of exemption 31(1) it was relying upon, and provided an inadequate explanation of the exemptions and public interest assessment. This decision notice is currently under appeal to the Information Tribunal.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 17 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 31 - Complaint Not upheld