HM Treasury

The complainant submitted a request to HM Treasury (HMT) for information relating to correspondence and meetings between FGS Global and HMT ministers.  HMT initially provided the complainant with some of the information held within scope of the request, with redactions for sections 40(2)(third party personal data) and 35(1)(d)(administration of a ministerial private office).  HMT withheld the remainder of the information held under sections 29(1)(a)(prejudice to the UK’s economic interests), and 43(2)(prejudice to commercial interests).  HMT maintained that position at the subsequent internal review. 
During the Commissioner’s investigation, HMT provided the complainant with a revised response to his request and disclosed the information requested with redactions.  HMT withdrew reliance on section 29(1)(a) and confirmed that they were withholding the redacted information under five exemptions, specifically, sections 27(1)(a)(prejudice to international relations), 35(1)(a)(formulation or development of government policy), 43(2)(prejudice to commercial interests, 35(1)(d)(administration of a private ministerial office) and 40(2)(third party personal data).  Some of these exemptions applied to only some of the withheld information.
The Commissioner’s decision is that the withheld information is exempt from disclosure on the basis of sections 27(1)(a), 43(2) and 35(1)(a) and that the public interest favours maintaining each exemption to the parts of the withheld information to which it applies.  However, the Commissioner finds that HMT breached section 10 as they failed to provide a response to the request within 20 working days .
The Commissioner does not require further steps.