UK Health Security Agency

The complainant has requested information about the Government guidance: ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): admission and care of people in care homes.’ UKHSA refused to provide a number of documents containing email exchanges and draft versions of the guidance citing sections 36(2)(b)(i), 36(2)(b)(ii) and 36(2)(c) (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that at the time of the request UKHSA was correct to rely on section 36(2)(b)(i), section 36(2)(b)(ii) and section 36(2)(c) of FOIA to withhold the documents that fall within scope of the complainant’s request. The public interest favoured maintaining these exemptions.