Information Commissioner's Office

Ministry of Defence

25 September 2014, Central government

The complainant submitted four requests to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) about the Saudi Arabian National Guard Communications Project. (‘SANGCOM’). The MOD provided some information but sought to withhold the remainder of the information on the basis of section 27 of FOIA. During the course of the Commissioner’s investigation the MOD clarified the extent to which it held information falling within the scope of the disputed requests. It also sought to argue that the information it did hold attracted a number of further exemptions. The Commissioner’s decision is that the information falling within the scope of requests 2 and 4 is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 27(1)(a) of FOIA and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest favours maintaining the exemption. That the MOD breached sections 1(1)(a) and 10(1) by failing to confirm within 20 working days of the request whether it held information falling within the scope of requests 1 and 2. That the MOD also breached section 17(1) by failing to cite a number of exemptions, by the completion of the internal review, which it subsequently sought to rely on. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2014/0261 dismissed.

FOI 27: Not upheld