Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant has requested minutes of various meetings where the Pluserix MMR vaccine was discussed. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency (the -�MHRA-�) provided some information, but withheld some under the health and safety exemption (section 38); the third party information exemption (section 40); and the confidential information exemption (section 41). Subsequently, the complainant made an additional request for information on the status of attendees at a specific meeting, and whether they were MHRA employees. The Commissioner-�s decision is that the MHRA has correctly relied upon the health and safety exemption, and the third party personal information exemption to withhold some information. He has also decided some of the information was exempt under the confidential information exemption. However, he has also decided that some information was not exempt under sections 38 and 40, and should therefore be disclosed. The Commissioner has also decided that the MHRA should respond to the complainant-�s additional request. The Commissioner requires the MHRA to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation: It should disclose an unredacted version of the minutes of the ARGOS meeting on 4 September 1992. It should also respond to the complainant-�s additional request for it to confirm whether the individuals, whose names have been redacted from the above minutes, were MHRA officials. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2011/0292 has been disposed of by way of a consent order.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 38 - Complaint Partly Upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Partly Upheld, FOI 41 - Complaint Not upheld