Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The complainant requested the dates on which the wife of the Foreign Secretary had stayed overnight at two Ministerial residences provided for the use of the Foreign Secretary. The public authority refused the request and cited the exemptions provided by sections 38(1)(b) (endangerment to safety) and 40(2) (personal information) of the Act. The Commissioner finds that these exemptions apply in part; the public authority is required to disclose the number of stays but not the dates. The Commissioner also finds that the public authority failed to comply with the procedural requirements of section 17(1) through its handling of the request. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2011/0207 has been disposed of by way of a consent order.