Summary: The complainant requested Special Branch related information about the poet Adrian Mitchell. The public authority refused to confirm or deny whether it held information falling within the scope of the request, citing the exemptions from the duty to confirm or deny provided by sections 23(5) (information relating to, or supplied by, security bodies), 24(2) (national security) and 31(3) (law enforcement) of the Act. The Commissioner finds that the exemption provided by section 23(5) was applied correctly and so the public authority is not required to confirm or deny whether it holds the information requested.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 23 - Complaint Not upheld