Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

The complainant requested information in relation to the Government’s listening exercises on Equal Civil Marriage – i.e. granting same sex couples marriage rights already enjoyed by heterosexuals. The Commissioner’s decision is that the public authority was entitled to withhold the requested information described as ‘the disputed information’ in this notice on the basis of the exemption at section 35(1)(a). The Commissioner does not require the public authority to take any steps.