Information Commissioner's Office

Wales Office

31 October 2016, Local government (District council)

The complainant has requested copies of all correspondence between Wales Office Ministers and the Welsh Government Minister for Health and Social Care and Deputy Minister for Health since January 2015. Whilst the Wales Office disclosed some information, it refused other items by virtue of section 35 of the FOIA on the basis that disclosure would be likely to prejudice the formulation of government policy. Following the Commissioner’s investigation, the Wales Office subsequently changed its stance to rely on section 28 of the FOIA as it considered that disclosure would be likely to prejudice the relations between the UK government and the Welsh Assembly Government. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Wales Office has correctly relied on section 28 in respect of the remaining withheld information. The Commissioner does not require the public authority to take any steps.

FOI 28: Not upheld