Cabinet Office

The complainant asked the Cabinet Office to provide all information it held dating from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2000 relating to the awarding of a peerage to Lord Ashcroft. The Cabinet Office refused the request on the basis of sections 21, 37(1)(b), 40(2) and 41(1). The complainant asked the Commissioner to consider the application of the latter three of these exemptions. The Commissioner has decided that a number of documents falling within the scope of the request are not exempt from disclosure on the basis of these three exemptions and therefore they need to be disclosed. The remaining information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 37(1)(b). Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2011/0174 has been disposed of by way of a consent order..