Cabinet Office
- Date 21 March 2016
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 23: Not upheld, FOI 24: Not upheld
The complainant has requested a file of Prime Ministerial correspondence on the matter of security which dates from the period 1964-70. The Cabinet Office refused to provide it citing the exemptions at section 23(1) (security bodies) and section 24(1) (national security) in the alternative as its basis for doing so. It also cited section 40 (unfair disclosure of personal data). It upheld this at internal review. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Cabinet Office is entitled to rely on section 23(1) and section 24(1) in the alternative as its basis for refusing to provide the requested information. No steps are required.