HM Treasury

The complainant requested a copy of an analysis he claims was carried out by the public authority on the benefits of future free-trade agreements between the United Kingdom and non-European Union countries, compared with the costs of leaving the European Union’s customs union. The public authority neither confirmed nor denied holding such an analysis, relying on section 27(4) (International relations), 29(2) (The economy) and 35(3) (Formulation of development of government policy).The Commissioner concluded that the public authority was entitled to rely on the exclusion at section 27(4).