HM Treasury

The complainant submitted a request to HM Treasury (HMT) seeking emails, memos and briefings sent to, or prepared for, the Chancellor of the Exchequer between January 3 and January 5 2020 which discuss the Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme. HMT withheld the information on the basis of section 27(1)(a) (international relations) of FOIA. It subsequently argued that the information was also exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(c) and (d) (international relations), 35(1)(a) (government policy) and 43(2) (commercial interests). The Commissioner’s decision is that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) of FOIA and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest favours maintaining these exemptions. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2021/0043 appeal dismissed.