Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested copies of both paper and electronic records of all minutes and papers from the Special Advisers Remuneration Committee since 6 May 2010 and asked a number of questions concerning the operation and decisions of that body. The Cabinet Office initially refused to disclose any information on the basis of section 36(2)(b). In submissions to the Commissioner, the Cabinet Office subsequently advised that it was also refusing to disclose the information under section 40(2). The Commissioner has found that some of the information was exempt under section 36(2)(b) and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure. However, the Commissioner has found that neither section 36(2)(b) or section 40(2) was engaged with regard to some of the information and has therefore ordered disclosure of the non-exempt information.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 36 - Complaint Partly Upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Upheld