Environment Agency
- Date 31 July 2017
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) EIR 12.5.a: Upheld, EIR 12.5.f: Partly upheld, EIR 13.1: Partly upheld
The complainant has requested information relating to communications between senior figures within the Environment Agency (EA) and the Prince of Wales relating to flooding. The EA provided some information falling within the scope of the request but withheld other information under the exceptions provided by regulation 12(5)(a) – national security and public safety, regulation 12(5)(f) – interests of the person who supplied the information and regulation 13 – third party personal data. The Commissioner’s decision is that regulation 12(5)(a) is not engaged. Regulation 12(5)(f) is engaged in respect of advice to the Prince of Wales from a member of his staff contained in one email. Regulation 12(5)(f) is not engaged in respect of information contained in the body of two letters that relate to advocacy correspondence. Neither can that information be withheld under regulation 13(1). Regulation 13(1) is however is engaged in respect of the names and contact details of staff from private organisations, the names and contact details of junior public servants and the contact details of senior officers within the EA. The Commissioner requires the EA to disclose the information from the email withheld under 12(5)(a) and disclose the information from the body of the two letters which has been withheld under both 12(5)(f) and 13(1).