Information Commissioner's Office

Cabinet Office

28 February 2017, Central government

The complainant submitted a request to the Cabinet Office seeking a copy of a file dating from 1974 concerning Diego Garcia. He also requested a list of the file’s contents. The Cabinet Office sought to withhold the file, and a list of its contents, on the basis of the exemptions contained at sections 27(1)(a), 27(1)(c), 27(1)(d) and 27(2) (international relations), 24(1) (national security), 26(1)(a) and 26(1)(b) (defence) of FOIA. During the course of the Commissioner’s investigation, the Cabinet Office provided the complainant with a small amount of information contained in the file which it was established was in effect already in the public domain. The Commissioner has concluded that the remaining information contained in the file is exempt from disclosure of the basis of sections 27(1)(a), 27(1)(c) and 27(1)(d). The Commissioner is also satisfied that a list of the file’s contents is also exempt from disclosure on the basis of the same exemptions.

FOI 27: Not upheld