Secretary of State for Defence (Ministry of Defence)

The complainant submitted a request to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) seeking some previously withheld parts of a report produced in 2000 into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. The MOD withheld the requested information on the basis of sections 24(1) (national security), 26(1)(b) (defence) and 27(1)(a) (international relations) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 27(1)(a) and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest favours maintaining the exemption. The Commissioner does not require further steps.