FOIA Section 43 Exemption

Section 43: Commercial Interests

Section 43 exempts information whose disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person. It also includes a specific exemption for trade secrets.

Key points:

• Section 43 protects not only the commercial interests of third parties but also the commercial interests of the public authority that holds the information;
• Public authorities will need to bear in mind that the commercial sensitivity (particularly the market sensitivity) of information will usually decrease with time;
• Section 43 is subject to the public interest test.

Official Guidance

• Ministry of Justice guidance: Section 43: commercial interests
• ICO guidance: Awareness Guidance 5 - Commercial interest
• ICO guidance: Awareness guidance 5 annexe - public sector contracts
• ICO guidance: Awareness guidance 20 - prejudice and adverse affect

What to check for in refusal notices

For information to be witheld under Section 43, the following MUST be provided:

• Details of the exact FOIA exemption - either 43.1 Trade Secrets or 43.2 Commercial Interests
• Details of who would be prejudiced - see MoJ guidance above, p4.
• A "Public Interest Test" where the arguments for and against release of the information should be discussed (as this is a "qualified" exemption).
• If release of the information could prejudice a third party, they should be consulted with - see FOIA Section 45 Code of Practice Part IV

In addition much information from recent public sector contracts should be made available, especially if they are from after 2005, the start date of the FOIA - see ICO Awareness guidance 5 annexe - public sector contracts

Local Authorities and some other public authorities have to open up their accounts for inspection by the public each year under the rules of the Audit Commission Act 1998 (see Orchard News Bureau's list of annual dates). Because of this, they should not try to hide or redact financial amounts from invoices or accounts in FOI requests that would be normally be made public during the annual inspection period.

What the law says

43 Commercial interests

(1) Information is exempt information if it constitutes a trade secret.

(2) Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).

(3) The duty to confirm or deny does not arise if, or to the extent that, compliance with section 1(1)(a) would, or would be likely to, prejudice the interests mentioned in subsection (2).

ICO Lines To Take

Relevant Lines to Take

LTT55 - Evidence from third parties - 18/11/2010 LTT173 - Impact of disclosure under FOIA on the voluntary supply of information to regulatory bodies - 04/09/2010 LTT13 - Prejudice test - 05/01/2009 LTT16 - Prejudice to contractual relations - 29/08/2006

Decision Notices

Complaints upheld / partly upheld (P)

Complaints not upheld

FS50183692(P) - Royal Mail - 25/03/2010 FS50211063 - Leeds Metropoliten University - 18/03/2010 FS50211784 - Central Bedfordshire Council - 02/02/2010 FS50218090 - Swanage Town Council - 26/01/2010 FS50214920 - Camden Primary Care Trust - 07/01/2010 FS50154684 - Department for Culture, Media and Sport - 15/12/2009 FS50214210 - Vehicle and Operator Services Agency - 03/12/2009 FS50240406 - Royal Mail - 01/12/2009 FS50129430 - Financial Services Authority - 18/11/2009 FS50089555(P) - Ministry of Defence - 17/11/2009 FS50169315(P) - North West London Hospitals NHS Trust - 16/11/2009 FS50216278 - Royal Mail - 09/11/2009 FS50089556(P) - Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - 15/10/2009 FS50131117 - Home Office - 15/10/2009 FS50171494 - University of East Anglia - 21/09/2009 FS50229756 - Export Credits Guarantee Department - 17/09/2009 FS50176916 - British Transport Police Authority - 24/08/2009 FS50207431 - Department for Transport - 17/08/2009 FS50161805 - Ministry of Justice - 28/07/2009 FS50178268 - Ministry of Justice - 28/07/2009 FS50130316 - Food Standards Agency - 27/07/2009 FS50173361 - University of Oxford - 21/07/2009 FS50125005(P) - Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council - 17/06/2009 FS50125350 - National Police Improvement Agency - 16/06/2009 FS50164262 - Bristol City Council - 27/05/2009 FS50193437 - Financial Services Authority - 19/05/2009 FS50160256 - Department for Culture, Media and Sport - 06/04/2009 FS50160904 - King's College London - 31/03/2009 FS50083102 - Department for Children, Schools and Families - 31/03/2009 FS50160902(P) - University of Oxford - 31/03/2009 FS50140374 - University of Central Lancashire - 30/03/2009 FS50145203(P) - Caerphilly County Borough Council - 24/03/2009 FS50128406 - Export Credits Guarantee Department - 23/02/2009 FS50188894 - The Priory Group - 17/02/2009 FS50090393(P) - BBC - 09/02/2009 FS50088736 - Department of Health - 29/01/2009 FS50149373 - Department of Health - 22/12/2008 FS50149375 - Department of Health - 22/12/2008 FS50149374 - Department of Health - 22/12/2008 FS50178376 - Royal Mail - 18/12/2008 FS50133140 - BBC - 11/12/2008 FS50088016 - Department for International Development - 27/11/2008 FS50126264 - Student Loans Company Ltd - 03/11/2008 FS50169313(P) - British Museum - 23/10/2008 FS50163364 - Imperial College London - 21/10/2008 FS50168782 - Hampshire County Council - 08/10/2008 FS50145663 - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs - 11/09/2008 FS50106712 - Financial Services Authority - 11/08/2008 FS50156040 - Student Loans Company Ltd - 30/07/2008 FS50141374 - Department for Transport - 28/07/2008... further results

FS50252404 - Leeds City Council - 23/03/2010 FS50248665 - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - 18/03/2010 FS50227055 - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - 11/03/2010 FS50235498 - House of Commons - 07/12/2009 FS50157117 - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - 22/10/2009 FS50131984 - Export Credits Guarantee Department - 20/10/2009 FS50125011 - University of Nottingham - 07/09/2009 FS50192335 - Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - 29/07/2009 FS50128245 - Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform - 01/04/2009 FS50171506 - North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust - 31/03/2009 FS50206188 - Veterinary Laboratories Agency - 02/03/2009 FS50181643 - Central Office of Information - 03/12/2008 FS50129653 - Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust - 02/04/2008 FS50094891 - Commonwealth Development Corporation (‘CDC’) - 19/03/2008 FS50086077 - BBC - 17/03/2008 FS50086170 - The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service - 17/03/2008 FS50068391 - BBC - 10/03/2008 FS50164273 - BBC - 27/02/2008 FS50155428 - West Sussex County Council - 14/02/2008 FS50155425 - Surrey County Council - 13/02/2008 FS50155375 - Bath and North East Somerset Council - 04/02/2008 FS50155378 - London Borough of Bexley - 04/02/2008 FS50155379 - Cheshire County Council - 04/02/2008 FS50072937 - BBC - 08/01/2008 FS50067416 - BBC - 08/01/2008 FS50082955 - Financial Services Authority - 02/01/2008 FS50154913 - Northern Ireland Office - 18/12/2007 FS50094592 - North Western & North Wales Fisheries Committee - 19/11/2007 FS50075174 - Office for Standards in Education - 19/11/2007 FS50109533 - London Borough of Camden - 29/10/2007 FS50074344 - BBC - 04/10/2007 FS50133791 - BBC - 30/07/2007 FS50094583 - Financial Services Authority - 05/07/2007 FS50107458 - National Gallery - 21/05/2007 FS50126145 - Royal Mail - 28/03/2007 FS50087290 - Export Credits Guarantee Department - 27/03/2007 FS50081543 - Department for Transport - 29/11/2006 FS50097376 - Welsh Development Agency - 11/09/2006 FS50075607 - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs - 31/07/2006 FS50070214 - Guildford Borough Council - 18/07/2006 FS50066054 - Post Office - 30/11/2005 FS50066313 - Department of Trade and Industry - 24/10/2005

Includes DNs up to: 26 April 2010

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Exemptions

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