NHS England

The complainant has requested information about evacuation plans. The above public authority provided some of the information but relied on sections 24 (national security) and 38 (health and safety) to redact some information. It also claimed not to hold some of the requested information. The Commissioner’s decision is that the public authority is not entitled to rely on either section 24 or 38 of FOIA to withhold the majority of the information. Sections 24 and 38 are engaged in respect of one piece of information and, where this is the case, the public interest favours maintaining the exemptions. The public authority does not hold any information within the scope of part 2 of the request. The public authority’s handling of the request breached sections 10 and 17 of FOIA. The Commissioner requires the public authority to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. Disclose all the information it has relied on sections 24 and 38 to withhold with the exception of: names; and email addresses; and phone numbers; and the information redacted on page 46 of the Regional Response Plan.
Keywords: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, RAAC