Department for Transport

The complainant has requested information, such as meeting notes and correspondence relating to the Tonnage Tax Working Group. During the course of the Commissioner’s investigation the Department for Transport (DfT) disclosed some of the information to the complainant but continued to withhold the correspondence between various parties on the development of the UK Tonnage Tax Policy on the basis of section 35(1)(a) of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the DfT has correctly applied the section 35(1)(a) exemption and the public interest favours maintaining the exemption and withholding the remaining information in the scope of the request. She requires no steps to be taken.