Cabinet Office

The complainant submitted a request to the Cabinet Office for a copy of the minutes of, and any associated papers for, the Domestic Affairs Cabinet committee in January 2003 which considered tuition fees. The Cabinet Office withheld the information in the scope of the request on the basis of sections 35(1)(a) (formulation and development of government policy) and 35(1)(b) (Ministerial communications) of FOIA. The Commissioner has concluded that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 35(1)(b) of FOIA and that in the circumstances of the case the public interest favours maintaining the exemption.