Cabinet Office
- Date 19 March 2019
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 35: Upheld, FOI 37: Upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Cabinet Office seeking a copy of the 2017 minutes of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) meeting that related to the subject of the National Defence Medal. The Cabinet Office sought to withhold the information on the basis of sections 35(1)(a) (formulation and development of policy) and 37(1)(b) (conferring of any honour or dignity) of FOIA. The Commissioner accepts that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of each exemption. However, she has concluded that for the each exemption the public interest favours disclosure of the information.