Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FCDO (previously FCO)

The complainant submitted a four part request to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) seeking information about the Government’s decision in September 2024 to suspend 30 licenses for the export of military equipment to Israel. The FCDO refused to confirm or deny whether it held information falling within the scope of part 1 of the request on the basis of sections 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 41(1) and 43(2), with section 27(1) (international relations) of FOIA also applying to parts 2 and 4. The Commissioner’s decision is that the FCDO 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.