Information Commissioner's Office

Department for Education

8 August 2016, Central government

The complainant has submitted two requests to the Department for Education (DfE): (1) for the period May 2013 to May 2014 copies of correspondence between Chris Wormald and representatives of Marshall Wace LLP, including Paul Marshall, and, or ARK and, (2), details of a specific meeting attended by Chris Marshall at Marshall Wace LLP. The DfE has provided some of the information covered by the scope of the requests but has withheld the remaining records under various limbs of the ‘prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs’ (sections 36(2)(b)(i)(ii) and 36(2)(c)) exemptions to disclosure in FOIA. It also considers that parts of the requested material is covered by the ‘commercial interests’ (section 43(2)) and ‘third party personal data’ (section 40(2)) exemptions. The Commissioner has found that the exemptions in section 36(2) are engaged and that, in all the circumstances, the public interest in disclosure is outweighed by the public interest in withholding the requested information. She does not therefore require any steps to be taken as a result of this notice.

FOI 36: Not upheld