Secretary of State for the Home Department (Home Office)

The complainant requested information on asylum seekers. The Home Office disclosed some information and withheld other information under the exemptions for law enforcement (section 31), health and safety (section 38) and information provided in confidence (section 41). The Commissioner’s decision is that the Home Office was entitled to rely on sections 31, 38 and 41 to withhold the requested information excepting the nationalities, places of death of the deceased and, where they are already in the public domain, their names. He also finds that the Home Office complied with section 1 but disclosed some information outside the time for compliance, breaching section 10.     The Commissioner requires the Home Office to disclose the nationalities and places of death of the deceased falling within the scope of the request and, the names of the deceased identified in the confidential annex to this notice.