Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service

The complainant has requested information connected with Stephen Ward, who was involved in the Profumo Affair of the early 1960s. The Metropolitan Police Service (the “MPS”) initially provided a small amount of information but withheld the remainder citing section 40(2) (personal information); it also refused to confirm or deny that it held further information by virtue of sections 23(5) (information related to security bodies) and 24(2) (national security). This position was revised during the Commissioner’s investigation and further information was disclosed. The MPS’s final position is that the remaining information is exempt by virtue of sections 23(1) and 40(2). The Commissioner’s decision is that the MPS is entitled to rely on these exemptions and he requires no steps.