Ministry of Defence
- Date 19 August 2020
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 27: Not upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) seeking a copy of a report, and associated information, regarding a communication campaign in Ukraine undertaken by Strategic Communication Laboratories. The MOD refused to confirm or deny whether it held any information falling within the scope of the request on the basis section 26(3) (defence) and section 27(4) (international relations) of FOIA.
The Commissioner’s decision is that the MOD is entitled to rely on section 27(4) of FOIA to refuse to confirm or deny whether it holds the requested information and in the circumstances of the case the public interest in favours maintaining this exemption. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2020/0305 dismissed.