Cabinet Office

The complainant submitted a request to the public authority for copies of 3 documents catalogued at the National Archives under the title ‘Cyprus: Sovereign Base Areas’ but retained by the public authority. The public authority withheld the information on the basis of the exemptions at sections 27(1)(a) and 27(2). The public authority also relied on sections 23(5) and 24(2) to refuse to confirm or deny whether any of the information falling within the scope of the request was also exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 23(1) and 24(1). The Commissioner concluded that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a) and he did not therefore consider the exemption at section 27(2). The Commissioner has also concluded that sections 23(5) and 24(2) have been correctly relied upon as a basis upon which to refuse to confirm or deny whether the requested information is also exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 23(1) or 24(1).