Maritime and Coastguard Agency
- Date 27 June 2023
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 1(1)(a): Upheld, FOI 31: Not upheld
The complainant has requested information from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) recorded in the Coastguard's Vision command and control database relating to all small boat incidents (migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats) during a specific timeframe. The MCA refused to provide the requested information, citing section 40(2)(personal information) and section 31(1)(a)(law enforcement) of FOIA as its reasons for non-disclosure. The Commissioner’s decision is that section 31 of FOIA has been cited correctly and that the public interest favours non-disclosure. However, the MCA breached section 1(1)(b) of FOIA by disclosing information beyond the statutory timeframe. The Commissioner does not require further steps.