Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for information relating to a trip the Prime Minister's trade envoy to Mongolia made in April 2023. The FCDO initially confirmed that it held the requested information and extended the time it needed to consider the balance of the public interest test, but subsequently refused the request on the basis of section 14(1) (vexatious) of FOIA given the burden in complying with it. The Commissioner’s decision is that the FCDO is entitled to refuse the request on the basis of section 14(1) of FOIA. However, it breached section 17(5) of FOIA by issuing its refusal notice citing this provision of the legislation late. The Commissioner has also concluded that it would have been reasonable for the FCDO to provide the complainant with additional advice and assistance to help him frame a request that is not potentially burdensome.