Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant made a request to the National Archives for information held in two files relating to arms sales with Saudi Arabia. In response the National Archives disclosed a quantity of information falling within the scope of the request. However, some information was withheld under the exemptions in sections 27(1) and 27(2) (International relations) of the Act. The Commissioner has investigated the complaint and has found that the exemptions were engaged in respect of all of the withheld information and that for most of the information the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure. However, for a particular category of information the Commissioner found that the public interest balance weighed in favour of disclosure. The Commissioner now requires the National Archives to make this information available to the complainant within 35 calendar days of the date of this notice. The Commissioner also recorded procedural breaches of section 1(1)(b) (General right of access) and section 10(1) (Time for compliance) of the Act. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2011/0109 dismissed.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 27 - Complaint Partly Upheld