Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FCDO (previously FCO)

The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) seeking documents relating to an article published in The Sunday Times in May 1999 alleging Colonel Gaddafi's personal involvement in the bombing of Pan Am 103. The FCDO disclosed some information but withheld further information on the basis of section 21 (information reasonably accessible by other means), and section 23(1) (security bodies) or, in the alternative, section 24(1) of FOIA. The complainant disputed the application of the latter two exemptions. The Commissioner has concluded that the disputed information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 23(1) or section 24(1) of FOIA. However, the FCDO breached section 17(1) by failing to issue a response to the request within 20 working days.