Home Office

The complainant has requested information about 11 files identified by the independent review of Home Office files on organised child sex abuse. The Home Office stated that some of the information requested was not held and refused to disclose the remainder under the exemptions provided by sections 36(2)(c) (other prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) and 40(2) (personal information) of the FOIA.
The Commissioner’s decision is that the Home Office stated correctly that some of the requested information was not held and was also correct to withhold some of the information it did hold under the exemption provided by section 40(2). However, he also finds that, whilst section 36(2)(c) was engaged, the public interest in the maintenance of this exemption did not outweigh the public interest in disclosure and so the Home Office is required to disclose this information. The Commissioner requires the Home Office to disclose the information withheld under section 36(2)(c), with the names in relation to which section 40(2) is engaged redacted.