UK Research and Innovation

The complainant has requested information relating to the application for, and approval of funding for, a medical trial of treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome known as the PACE trial. The public authority provided some information and further information was disclosed during the course of the Commissioner’s investigation. The outstanding issue addressed in this notice is complainant’s right of access to the names of external reviewers who reviewed the research proposal. These names were withheld under section 40(2) – third party personal data, section 41 – information provided in confidence and section 36(2)(c) – prejudice to the conduct of public affairs. The Commissioner’s decision is that the MRC is entitled to rely on sections 40(2) and 36(2)(b)(ii) to withhold the requested names. The Commissioner does not require the public authority to take any further action in this matter.