Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Date 8 February 2018
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 14: Not upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for information about the activities and death of British citizen Helen Smith in Saudi Arabia in May 1979 that covered the period January to 1981 to June 1981. The FCO initially sought to refuse to disclose the request on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) (international relations), section 38(1)(a) (health and safety), section 40 (personal data) and section 41(1) (information provided in confidence). The FCO subsequently argued that the request was vexatious because complying with it would place a grossly oppressive burden on it. It therefore refused the request on the basis of section 14(1) of FOIA. The Commissioner has decided that the FCO is entitled to refuse the request on this basis. This decision notice is currently under appeal to the Tribunal.