Information Commissioner's Office

---

You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Information Commissioner's Office >> Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Central government) [2024] UKICO 271542 (10 January 2024)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKICO/2024/271542.html
Cite as: [2024] UKICO 271542

---

[New search] [Printable PDF version] [Help]

---

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The complainant has requested information associated with the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce. Defra initially disclosed some relevant information and withheld taskforce meeting minutes in their entirety, under section 35(1)(a) of FOIA. Defra has subsequently advised that it will now disclose some of the information in the minutes but continues to rely on section 35 in respect of the remainder of the information in the minutes. The Commissioner’s decision is that Defra is entitled to withhold some information in the taskforce minutes under section 35(1)(a) of FOIA. The withheld information relates to the formulation of government policy and the public interest favours non-disclosure.The Commissioner requires Defra to take the following step to ensure compliance with the legislation: If it hasn’t already done so, communicate to the complainant the information in the six sets of Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce minutes from which Defra has withdrawn its application of section 35(1)(a).

FOI 35: Complaint not upheld

Decision notice: 271542