19 March 2015, Police and criminal justice
The complainant requested a number of special branch files from the Metropolitan Police Service (the “MPS”) relating to the Newham Monitoring Project. The MPS would neither confirm nor deny holding any of the files by virtue of sections 23(5) (supplied by, or relating to, bodies dealing with security matters), 24(2) (national security), 30(3) (criminal investigations), 31(3) (law enforcement) and 40(5) (personal information). The Commissioner’s decision is that the MPS was entitled to rely on the exemption at section 23(5) to neither confirm nor deny whether it held information within the scope of the request which, if held, would be exempt by virtue of section 23(1) of the FOIA. He requires no steps. This decision notice is currently under appeal to the Tribunal.
FOI 23: Not upheld