Department for Business & Trade (DBT)

The complainant submitted a four part request to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) seeking information about the Government’s decision in September 2024 to suspend 30 licenses for the export of military equipment to Israel. DBT refused to confirm or deny whether it held information falling within the scope of part 1 of the request on the basis of sections 38(2) (health and safety), 41(2) (information provided in confidence) and 43(3) (commercial interests) of FOIA. It confirmed that it held information falling within the scope of parts 2, 3 and 4 of the request but withheld this on the basis of sections 38(1), 41(1) and 43(2) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that DBT is entitled to rely on section 41(2) to refuse to confirm or deny whether it holds information falling within the scope of part 1 of the request and is entitled to withhold the information falling within the scope of parts 2, 3 and 4 of the request on the basis of section 41(1) of FOIA.