Qualified exemptions
Exemptions where the public interest test applies (qualified exemptions)
More information on the public interest test is available from the Information Commissioner's site
- Section 22 Information intended for future publication
- Section 24 National security (other than information supplied by or relating to named security organisations, where the duty to consider disclosure in the public interest does not arise.)
- Section 26 Defence
- Section 27 International relations
- Section 28 Relations within the United Kingdom
- Section 29 The economy
- Section 30 Investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities
- Section 31 Law enforcement
- Section 33 Audit Functions
- Section 35 Formulation of government policy, etc
- Section 36 Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs (except information held by the House of Commons or the House of Lords)
- Section 37 Communications with Her Majesty, etc and honours
- Section 38 Health and safety
- Section 39 Environmental information as this can be accessed through the Environmental Information Regulations.
- Section 40 Personal information People cannot access personal data about themselves under the Freedom of Information Act as there is already access to such information under the Data Protection Act 1998. Personal data about other people cannot be released if to do so would breach the Data Protection Act.
- Section 42 Legal professional privilege
- Section 43 Commercial interests
Where a public authority considers that the public interest in withholding the information requested outweighs the public interest in releasing it, the authority must inform the applicant of its reasons, unless to do so would mean releasing the exempt information.
For more information visit the Information Commissioners website at
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk