Secretary of State for the Home Department (Home Office)

The complainant requested specified information relating to the operation of the UK’s national border. The Home Office refused to provide the requested information, relying on the FOIA exemptions in section 31(1)(a) – prejudice to the prevention or detection of crime and section 31(1)(e) – prejudice to the operation of the immigration controls. However, during the course of the Commissioner’s investigation, it became apparent that the Home Office had already addressed one part of the request (namely about whether it uses a single national IT platform), so the Commissioner has excluded this aspect from further consideration. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Home Office has correctly relied on both sections 31(1)(a) and (e) of FOIA to refuse the remainder of the request for the reasons set out in this notice. No steps are required as a result of this decision.