Information Commissioner's Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

2 February 2015, Central government

The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for information about discussions between the UK government and Ugandan government about Tullow Oil. The FCO provided the complainant with a digest of information contained within three documents. Further information was withheld on the basis that it was exempt from disclosure on the basis of one of the following exceptions within the EIR: regulation 12(5)(a) (international relations); 12(5)(e) (commercial confidentiality); or 12(3) (personal data). The complainant argued that the public interest favoured disclosing the withheld information and also argued that as the information related to emissions, regulation 12(5)(a) could not apply by virtue of regulation 12(9). The Commissioner’s decision is that the withheld information does not constitute information on emissions. Therefore regulation 12(9) is not applicable. Regulation 12(5)(a) is engaged for the information identified in the annex attached to this notice and the public interest favours maintaining the exception. Regulation 12(3) is engaged for the information identified in the attached annex. Regulation 12(5)(e) is engaged for the information identified in the annex attached to this notice and the public interest favours maintaining the exception. The exceptions to this finding are in relation to the following information which the Commissioner does not accept is exempt from disclosure on the basis of regulation 12(5)(e): Document 2 – paragraph 5; Document 3 – paragraphs 3 and 10. The Commissioner requires the public authority to provide the complainant with the information identified below: Document 2 – paragraph 5; Document 3 – paragraphs 3 and 10.

EIR 12(3): Not upheld EIR 12(5)(a): Not upheld EIR 12(5)(e): Partly upheld