Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Date 10 July 2019
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 17: Upheld, FOI 37: Not upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) seeking information regarding the awarding of a knighthood to Arthur C Clarke. The FCO confirmed it held information falling within the scope of the request but it withheld this on the basis of the exemptions contained at section 37(1)(b) (the conferring by the Crown of any honour or dignity) and section 40(2) (personal data) of FOIA. The Commissioner has concluded that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 37(1)(b) of FOIA and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest favours maintaining the exemption. However, she has concluded that the FCO breached section 17(3) by failing to complete its public interest considerations within a reasonable timeframe.