Information Commissioner's Office

Cabinet Office

30 August 2016, Central government

The complainant has requested information relating to the RAF drone strike in Syria which killed two Britons fighting with so-called Islamic State. The Cabinet Office refused to provide this citing a number of exemptions as its basis for doing so: section 23 (security bodies); section 26 (defence); section 27 (international relations); section 35 (Law Officer advice); section 40 (unfair disclosure of personal data); section 42 (legal advice). It upheld this position at internal review. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Cabinet Office is entitled to rely on section 23(1) and section 35(1)(c) as its basis for refusing to provide the requested information. No steps are required.

FOI 23: Not upheld FOI 35: Not upheld