Information Commissioner's Office

Bank of England

21 March 2017, Central government

The complainant submitted a request to the Bank of England (the Bank) for a list of corporate credit card transactions by two members of senior Bank staff, along with copies of any receipts relating to the specific transactions. The Bank provided some details of the transactions but sought to withhold further information, including copies of the receipts, on the basis of the exemptions contained at the following sections of FOIA: 31(1)(a) (law enforcement), 38(1)(b) (health and safety) and 40(2) (personal data). In respect of the withheld information, the Commissioner is satisfied that the details of hotels used by the Bank’s staff, along with any other information that would identify the hotels in question, is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 38(1)(b) of FOIA, as are the home addresses of the Bank’s staff. The Commissioner also accepts that the assorted credit card details contained within the withheld information are exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 31(1)(a) of FOIA. However, the Commissioner has concluded that the various exemptions cited by the Bank do not provide a basis to withhold the remaining parts of the withheld information.

FOI 38: Partly upheld FOI 31: Not upheld FOI 40: Upheld