Cabinet Office

The complainant submitted a request to the Cabinet Office seeking information about the cost of repainting two aircraft in the union flag livery.After some delay, the Cabinet Office disclosed some of the requested information but sought to withhold the remainder of the information on the basis of section 43(2) (commercial interests) of FOIA. During the Commissioner’s investigation the Cabinet Office also disclosed the information initially withheld on the basis of section 43(2).The Commissioner’s decision is that the Cabinet Office breached sections 10(1) and 17(1) of FOIA as result of its initial delayed response and further breached section 10(1) by failing to disclose the disputed information within 20 working days. No steps are required.