Home Office

The complainant has requested information relating to the National Business Crime Solution (‘NBCS’). The Home Office agreed to disclose a transcript of a speech, but it said a meeting note was exempt under section 35(1)(a) (Formulation of government policy) of FOIA. In the event that the Commissioner disagreed, its reserve position was that sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) (Prejudice to conduct of public affairs) applied to the information. The Commissioner’s decision is that sections 35(1)(a) and 36(2)(b)(i) are not engaged. As regards section 36(2)(b)(ii), the Commissioner’s decision is that the exemption is engaged, but that in view of related information in the public domain at the time of the request, the public interest favours disclosure. The Commissioner requires the Home Office to disclose the ‘readout’ requested in the second bullet point. Personal data of junior civil servants and private sector attendees who are not already identified in the published summary of the meeting, may be redacted. The information that the Commissioner has identified in paragraph 16 as falling outside of the scope of the request may also be redacted.