Department for Transport

The complainant has requested information relating to the selection of members of the Airports Commission. The DfT provided some information to the complainant but withheld some information under sections 35(1)(a), 36(2)(a)(i), 36(2)(b)(i), 36(2)(b)(ii), 40(2) and 41 FOIA. It confirmed that it does not consider the information requested to be environmental, but in the alternative, if the Commissioner does consider the information to be environmental, it applied regulations 12(4)(d), 12(4)(e), 12(5)(d) 12(5)(f) and 13 EIR. The Commissioner’s decision is that the DfT was correct to deal with the request under FOIA. He also considers that section 36(2)(b)(ii) FOIA was applied correctly to the withheld information.  The Commissioner requires no steps to be taken.