Summary: The complainant requested information dating from April 1989 and relating to the Hillsborough disaster that was provided to the then Prime Minister, or that recorded meetings on this subject matter which were attended by the Prime Minister. The public authority refused the request and cited the following exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act 2000: sections 31(1)(a), 31(1)(b) and 31(1)(g) (prejudice to law enforcement), 35(1)(a), 35(1)(b) and 35(1)(d) (information relating to the formulation or development of government policy, Ministerial communications and the operation of any Ministerial private office), and 40(2) (personal information). In relation to the information withheld under subsections from sections 31 and 35, the Commissioner finds that the public interest favours disclosure of this information, and the public authority is now required to disclose this information. In relation to the information withheld under section 40(2), the Commissioner finds that the public authority was entitled to withhold this information. The Commissioner also finds that the public authority breached the Act in that it failed to respond to the request within 20 working days of receipt. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2011/0194 has been disposed of by way of a consent order.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 31 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Not upheld