Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The complainant has requested information from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (“FCO”) which, although they are over 30 years old, have not been transferred to The National Archives. The FCO refused to provide some of the requested information citing section 23 (security bodies exemption) as its basis for doing so. It upheld its use of section 23 at internal review. The Commissioner’s decision is that the FCO is entitled to rely on Section 23 as its basis for withholding the requested information. No steps are required.