Information Commissioner's Office

Home Office

5 May 2015, Central government

The complainant requested a file listed at the National Archives, but retained by the Home Office, that relates to the 1969 investiture of the Prince of Wales. Much of the content of the file was disclosed to the complainant, with the remainder withheld under the exemptions provided by the following sections of the FOIA: 23(1) (information relating to, or supplied by, security bodies), 31(1)(a) and (b) (prejudice to the prevention or detection of crime and to the apprehension or prosecution of offenders),  40(2) (personal information). The Commissioner’s decision is that sections 23(1) and 40(2) were cited correctly. For the one document withheld under sections 31(1)(a) and (b), the Commissioner finds that those exemptions were not engaged. The Home Office is now required to disclose this information.  The Commissioner requires the Home Office disclose document number 60. The Home Office must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the FOIA and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.

FOI 23: Not upheld FOI 31: Upheld FOI 40: Not upheld