HM Treasury
- Date 28 March 2023
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 29(1)(a): Not upheld, FOI 29(1)(b): Not upheld
The complainant has requested from HM Treasury (‘HMT’) all communications and information about meetings between the then Chancellor, Rishi Sunak (‘Chancellor’), and the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey (‘Governor’), from 21 October to 4 November 2021. HMT disclosed some information but refused to provide information relating to a meeting held on 20 October 2021, citing section 29 of FOIA (prejudice to the economy). During the course of the Commissioner's investigation, HMT confirmed that it was also seeking to rely on section 36(2)(c) (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and section 40(2) (personal data).The Commissioner’s decision is that HMT has correctly applied section 29(1) to the withheld information. The Commissioner requires no steps to be taken as a result of this decision.