Summary: The complainant asked the public authority to provide information about communications sent or received by a specified individual and their line manager and direct or indirect reports, in relation to the company Phorm. The Cabinet Office withheld all the information it held relevant to the request (four pieces of correspondence) claiming that all of it constituted the personal data of the specified individual. In addition, it applied the exemption for international relations (section 27) to two of the four documents. The complainant indicated to the Information Commissioner that he was content for any -˜personal data-™ to be redacted from the withheld information. Therefore, where applied, the Information Commissioner will not consider further the exemption for personal information (section 40(2)). In respect of the exemption at section 27, the Information Commissioner has decided that the public authority properly applied this exemption and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure. The Information Commissioner therefore requires the public authority to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation: he orders that the content of the two emails previously withheld under the exemption for personal information should now be disclosed to the complainant, with the names of the parties redacted.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 27 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Upheld