Cabinet Office

The complainant requested copies of all guidelines issued by the public authority in relation to responding to requests for information concerning cyber-attacks under the FOIA. The public authority withheld the guidance held within the scope of the request on the basis of the exemptions at section 23(1) and section 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) FOIA. The Commissioner concluded that the public authority was entitled to rely on the exemption at section 23(1). She however found the public authority in breach of the procedural provision in section 10(1) FOIA for failing to respond to the request within 20 working days.