Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The complainant submitted a request to the Department for International Development (now part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - FCDO) seeking audits, evaluations and reports into the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The FCDO explained that it did not hold any audits. It also explained that it held one report which was exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 21 (information reasonably accessible) of FOIA and a further report which was exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a) to (d) and 27(2) (international relations) of FOIA. The complainant disputed the FCDO’s reliance on these latter exemptions and also its position that it did not hold any audits about the response. The Commissioner has concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, the FCDO does not hold any audits falling within the scope of the complainant’s request. The Commissioner has also concluded that the FCDO is entitled to rely on section 27(2) of FOIA to withhold the second report and that in the circumstances of the case the public interest favours maintaining this exemption.