Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FCDO (previously FCO)

The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) seeking correspondence sent to the Chinese government regarding the use of Royal Mint Court, London as diplomatic premises. The FCDO withheld the requested information on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c), (d) and section 27(2) (international relations) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the requested information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) and that the public interest favours maintaining each of the exemptions. However, the FCDO breached section 17(1) (refusal notices) of FOIA.