Cabinet Office
- Date 22 September 2016
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 23: Not upheld, FOI 24: Not upheld, FOI 27: Upheld
The complainant requested information from the Cabinet Office concerning the death of Abu Nidal. The Cabinet Office confirmed that it held some information falling within the scope of this request but sought to withhold this on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) (international relations) of FOIA. The Cabinet Office also sought to refuse to confirm or deny whether it held any further information falling within the scope of this request on the basis of sections 23(5) (security bodies) and 24(2) (national security) of FOIA. The Commissioner has concluded that the information which the Cabinet Office acknowledges it holds is not exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) of FOIA. However, the Commissioner is satisfied that the Cabinet Office can rely on the exemptions contained at sections 23(5) and 24(2) in the manner that it did. The Commissioner requires the public authority to provide the complainant with a copy of the information it has sought to withhold on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) of FOIA.