Cabinet Office

The complainant has requested information relating to a meeting in 1999 between Prime Minister Tony Blair and The Prince of Wales. The Cabinet Office originally neither confirmed nor denied that they held the requested information under regulation 13(5)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR). During the Commissioner’s investigation the Cabinet Office revised their response and confirmed that they did not hold any environmental information within scope of the request, under regulation 12(4)(a). Insofar as the Cabinet Office held any non-environmental information within scope of the request, the Cabinet Office would neither confirm nor deny whether or not they held the requested information on the basis of section 37(2) of FOIA, by virtue of section 37(1)(aa)(communications with the heir to the Throne). The Commissioner is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the Cabinet Office do not hold any environmental information requested by the complainant. The Commissioner is also satisfied that the Cabinet Office was entitled to neither confirm nor deny whether they held any non-environmental information within scope of the request, under section 37(2) of the FOIA. No steps are required.