Ministry of Defence
- Date 20 December 2018
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 24: Not upheld, FOI 27: Upheld, FOI 36: Upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) seeking a copy of the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator annual report for 2015/16 and a further request for an unredacted version of the Defence Safety Authority's 2015-16 annual assurance report. The MOD sought to withhold the requested information on the basis of the following sections of FOIA: 36(2)(b)(i) and 36(2)(c) (effective conduct of public affairs), 24(1) (national security), 26(1) (defence) and 27(1) (international relations). The Commissioner has concluded that sections 36(2)(b)(i) and 36(2)(c) are not engaged; that section 24(1) is engaged and the public interest favours maintaining this exemption; and that for a small portion of information which the MOD has only sought to withhold on the basis of section 36 and 27(1), section 27(1) is not engaged. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2019/0041 appeal dismissed.