1 Horse Guards Road
T +44 (0)20 7276 2294
London
xxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
SW1A 2HQ
www.cabinet office.gov.uk
Wil iam Kidd
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
FOI Reference: FOI320801
1/4/2015
Dear Wil iam Kidd
I refer to your request where you asked:
“Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide copies of emails,
telephone summaries and letters in relation to award of MBE to Liz Male, Chair of
Trust Mark”.
Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and
fol owing a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the
Cabinet Office does hold some of the information concerning your request.
The information you have requested fal s within sections 37(1)(b), (the conferring by the
Crown of an honour or dignity); and 40(2) in combination with 40(3) (personal
information).
Section 37(1) (b) is not an absolute exemption and is subject to the public interest test
which we have considered in relation to your request. We have weighed up whether the
public interest is better served by release of this information or withholding it. We
appreciate the importance of transparency in government which encourages public
interest in and interaction with the work of government. We also recognise that there is
a public interest in the workings of the honours system. However, this must be weighed
against the importance of confidentiality with regard to individual honours cases, which
is essential to protect the integrity of the honours and without which the system could
not function. Non disclosure of information relating to individual cases ensures that
those involved in the honours system can take part on the understanding that their
confidence wil be honoured and that decisions about honours are taken on the basis of
ful and honest information about the individual concerned.
Having considered al the circumstances of this case, we have concluded that the public
interest is better served by withholding the information exempt under section 37(1)(b). I
am also withholding the information under section 40(2) in combination with section
40(3), personal information. This provides that information is exempt from disclosure if it
comprises personal data and disclosure would contravene one of the data protection
principles in schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). We consider that
disclosure would contravene the first data protection principle which provides that data
must be processed fairly and lawful y and, in particular, shal not be processed unless at
best one of the conditions in schedule 2 to the DPA is met. We do not believe that any
of the conditions are met. Section 40(2) is an absolute exemption and the Cabinet
Office is not obliged to consider whether the public interest favours disclosing the
information.
You may like to know that al honours recommendations are considered by one of nine
expert honours committees, each chaired by a non-Civil Service chair and comprising a
majority of independent members. All recommendations are considered on their merit
and the level of award decided accordingly. You can find information about the
composition of honours committees at www.gov.uk/honours-committees. You may also
like to see the criteria for different levels of awards at www.gov.uk/honours/types-of-
honours-and-awards.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact the FOI team. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request or wish
to request an internal review, you should write to:
Roger Smethurst
Head of Knowledge and Information Management
Cabinet Office
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ
email: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
You should note that the Cabinet Office wil not normal y accept an application for
internal review if it is received more than two months after the date that the reply was
issued.
If you are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may apply directly to
the Information Commissioner for a decision. General y, the Commissioner cannot
make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by
Cabinet Office. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely
FOI Team
Cabinet Office