Information Commissioner's Office

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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Information Commissioner's Office >> Cabinet Office (Central government) [2023] UKICO 142464 (29 June 2023)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKICO/2023/142464.html
Cite as: [2023] UKICO 142464

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Cabinet Office

The complainant submitted a request to the Cabinet Office seeking briefings provided to Michael Gove, prior to his appearance before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in December 2020, which referred to the Clearing House. She also sought copies of any notes taken during the committee by officials or Mr Gove on the same subject. The Cabinet Office provided copies of notes taken that were held. However, it withheld information from a briefing document on the basis of sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (c) of FOIA arguing that the public interest favoured maintaining these exemptions. The complainant challenged this decision and also questioned whether additional briefing material was held. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Cabinet Office has located all of the briefing material falling within the scope of the request. The Commissioner has also decided that whilst the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (c), the public interest in disclosure of this information outweighs the public interest in maintaining the exemptions.

FOI 36: Complaint upheld FOI 1: Complaint not upheld

Decision notice: 142464