Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group

The complainant has requested information and legal advice provided to Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (“the CCG”) by its legal advisors in relation to the CCGs legal obligations for the procurement of services, particularly with regard to the Transforming Community Services programme (“the TCS programme”). The CCG provided a number of documents but withheld a legal advice note and emails providing further advice and discussions of the advice note. This information was withheld on the basis of section 41 and 42 of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the information is subject to the legal professional privilege and therefore section 42 is engaged and the public interest favours maintaining the exemption. He requires no steps to be taken.