Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service

The complainant requested the results of investigations that the Metropolitan Police Service (the MPS) has undertaken in respect of its use of Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, information which was also sought by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (the IPCC). Having previously cited different exemptions, the MPS finally refused to provide the information citing exemptions at sections 30 (investigations and proceedings), 23 (information supplied by, or relating to, bodies dealing with security matters) and, in the alternative, 24 (national security) of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the MPS is entitled to rely on section 23, and section 24 in the alternative, as a basis for withholding the requested information and he requires no steps. He does however note breaches of sections 10(1) and 17(3).