Department for International Development
- Date 4 January 2016
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 23: Not upheld, FOI 24: Not upheld, FOI 31: Not upheld, FOI 35: Not upheld, FOI 41: Not upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Department for International Development (DFID) regarding allegations that the charity Islamic Relief Worldwide had provided funding to Hamas. DFID refused to disclose the information it held on the basis of the exemptions contained at the following sections of FOIA: 21 (information reasonably accessible by other means); 27(1)(a) to (d); 27(2) (international relations); 31(1)(a), (b) and (g) by virtue of 31(2)(a) and (b) (law enforcement); 35(1)(a) (government policy); 40(2) (personal data); 41(1) (information provided in confidence) and 43(2) (commercial interests). DFID also sought to refuse to confirm or deny whether it held any further information on the basis of sections 23(5) and 24(2) of FOIA (security bodies and national security). The Commissioner has concluded that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of the exemptions contained at sections 35, 41 and 31 of FOIA. The Commissioner is also satisfied that DFID is entitled to rely on sections 23(5) and 24(2) to refuse to confirm or deny whether it holds any further information falling within the scope of the request.