Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The complainant requested ‘Call for Evidence’ related information about new towns. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (‘MHCLG’) refused the request, citing the FOIA exemptions at sections 35(1)(a), the formulation/development of government policy, and 43(2), commercial commercial interests. The Commissioner’s decision is that MHCLG was entitled to withhold the requested information under section 35(1)(a) of FOIA. As he has found section 35(1)(a) to apply to the withheld information in its entirety, the Commissioner has not deemed it necessary to consider MHCLG’s additional reliance on section 43(2) of FOIA. No steps are required as a result of this notice.