Information Commissioner's Office

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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Information Commissioner's Office >> Home Office (Central government) [2024] UKICO 262302 (6 March 2024)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKICO/2024/262302.html
Cite as: [2024] UKICO 262302

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Home Office

The complainant has requested from the Home Office copies of written communications between the then Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, and her office and civil servants where the ethnicity of grooming gangs was referenced. The complainant also asked for any research and evidence to support the Home Secretary’s claims regarding British Pakistani predominance in these gangs and related claims and any press briefings provided to her on this subject. At first, the Home Office refused to provide the information it held citing sections 27, 31, 40(2) and 42(1) of FOIA. It later decided that it did not, in fact, hold any information falling within scope. Having conducted further searches, the Home Office did locate some information that fell within scope but withheld it under section 36 of FOIA – prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs.  The Commissioner’s decision is that section 36 of FOIA is engaged but that the public interest favours disclosure. The Commissioner requires the Home Office to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. Disclose the information the Home Office has withheld under section 36(2)(b)(i) of FOIA.

FOI 17: Complaint upheld FOI 36: Complaint upheld

Decision notice: 262302