Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FCDO (previously FCO)

The complainant submitted two requests to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) both of which sought information about the Chagos Islands. In response to the first request the FCDO withheld information on the basis of sections 24(1) (national security), 27(1)(a), (c) and (d) (international relations), and 35(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy). In response to the second request the FCDO disclosed some information but withheld the remainder on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d), 35(1)(a) and 40(2) (personal data). The Commissioner’s decision is that the information withheld in response to the first request is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 27(1)(a), (c) and (d), and the information withheld in response to the second request is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d), section 35(1)(a), and section 40(2).