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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Information Commissioner's Office >> Department for International Trade (Central government) [2021] UKICO IC-50382 (18 March 2021)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKICO/2021/ic-50382.html
Cite as: [2021] UKICO IC-50382
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Department for International Trade
The complainant has requested information concerning a meeting on 29 October 2018 between the Secretary of State for International Trade and BAE Systems, to discuss the UK Government response to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and BAE Saudi interests. Department for International Trade (DIT) provided the complainant with a heavily redacted copy of the minutes of the meeting, with some information withheld under sections 27(1)(international relations), 35(1)(a)(formulation or development of government policy), 43(2)(commercial interests) and 40(2)(third party personal data). DIT also withheld a briefing relating to the meeting in its entirety under section 36(2)(a) and (b)(prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs). During the early stage of the Commissioner’s investigation DIT withdrew reliance on section 36 and provided the complainant with a redacted copy of the briefing document, with information withheld under sections 27(1), 43(2), 41(1)(information provided in confidence), 38(1)(b)(health and safety), 29(1)(a)(the economy) and 40(2). Further searches by DIT also identified an email chain and letter within the scope of the request and redacted copies of this information were disclosed to the complainant, with some information being exempt under sections 27(1), 29(1)(a), 43(2), 41(1), 40(2) and 26(1)(a)(defence). Further information was disclosed to the complainant in the later stage of the Commissioner’s investigation but DIT maintained the section 27 and 29 exemptions to statistical information relating to Saudi Arabia. The Commissioner’s decision is that the statistical information relating to Saudi Arabia was correctly withheld by DIT under section 27(1). However, DIT breached section 10(1) of the FOIA in that they failed to provide a valid response to the request within the statutory time frame of 20 working days. The Commissioner does not require DIT to take any further steps in this matter.FOI 27: Complaint not upheld
Decision notice: IC-50382