Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Date 23 April 2019
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 10: Upheld, FOI 27: Upheld, FOI 36: Upheld, FOI 41: Upheld, FOI 43: Upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for information about export licenses. The FCO initially sought to withhold all of the requested information before providing the complainant with some of it. The FCO has sought to withhold the remaining information on the basis of sections 27(1)(a) (international relations), 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii), 36(2)(c) (effective conduct of public affairs), 41(1) (information provided in confidence) and 43(2) (commercial interests). The Commissioner has concluded that none of the exemptions cited by the FCO apply to the withheld information, with the exception of sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii). However, the Commissioner has concluded that the public interest favours disclosing the information which has been withheld on the basis of that exemption. Furthermore, the Commissioner has concluded that some of the information which the FCO redacted as being out of scope of the request falls within the scope. Finally, the Commissioner has concluded that the FCIO breached section 10(1) of FOIA.