Freedom of Information
xxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx
Team
www.gov.uk
Correspondence Unit
9 Downing Street
SW1A 2AG
Calvin Karpenko
Via: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Our ref: DEX001365
28 September 2018
Dear Calvin Karpenko,
I refer to your request, where you asked:
Please provide the following information with respect to the Institute of Economic
Affairs (henceforth referred to as IEA):
The minutes of all meetings (informal and formal) between the IEA and officials
(including ministers). Such meetings should make clear the location, attendees and
duration of such events, and details of what was discussed.
The timeframe should be from the date that the Department for Exiting the European
Union was established until present. If this would exceed the cost then please advise
and we can amend the timeframe.
Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the Act’).
The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) holds some information which
fal s within the scope of your request. The information being disclosed to you is contained
below and is also attached to the email which this letter accompanies.
The meetings which are the subject of the information attached were held on 13 March
2018 and 21 June 2018.
Not al minutes held in scope of your request fol ow a standardised format and therefore the
location, attendees and duration may not be held in each case.
DExEU considers that information within the scope of your request is exempt from
disclosure under sections 35(1)(a) (government policy) and 40(1) (personal information) of
the Act.
Section 35 of the Act
Some of the information that you have requested is exempt from disclosure under section
35(1)(a) of the Act as it relates to the formulation or development of government policy.
Section 35 is a qualified exemption and I have considered whether the public interest in
exempting the information in scope outweighs the public interest in releasing the
information. DExEU recognises that there is a general public interest in disclosure of
information and we recognise that openness in government may increase public trust in
and engagement with the government. We also recognise that policy formulation and/or
development is in the public interest as policy can have significant impact on the lives of
citizens and there is therefore public interest in the transparency of any deliberations.
Against this, there is a strong public interest in policy making associated with our exit from
the EU being of the highest quality and being ful y informed by a consideration of al
options. It is important that policy officials can exchange views on available options and
openly discuss and understand potential implications, especial y on live issues. In releasing
information in scope, we may undermine the effective formulation or development of
policies which may play a key part in our negotiation strategy regarding our exit from the
EU, or create unintended consequences which could potential y jeopardise policy
formulation or development in the future. I have determined that in al circumstances of the
case, public interest favours withholding the information we hold within the scope of your
request over releasing.
Section 40 of the Act
Some of the information you have requested is exempt from disclosure under section 40(2)
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This section exempts personal information from
disclosure if that information relates to someone other than the applicant, and if disclosure
of that information would, amongst other things, contravene one of the data protection
principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘the GDPR’). In this
case, DExEU considers that disclosure would contravene the first data protection principle
contained in Article 5(1)(a) of the GDPR, which provides that personal data must be
processed lawful y, fairly and in a transparent manner. Section 40(2) is an absolute
exemption and the DExEU is not obliged to consider whether the public interest favours
disclosing the information.
Some information from the fol owing minutes can be released and is provided below. The
remainder is exempt from disclosure under sections 35(1)(a) and 40(1).
19 December 2017
Attendees
Think Tanks:
Andrew Haldenby - Reform
James Kirkup - Social Market Foundation
Prof Jagjit S. Chadha - National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Prof. L. Alan Winters - UK Trade Policy Observatory, University of Sussex
Stephen Booth - Open Europe
Prof. Anand Menon - The UK in a Changing Europe
Warwick Lightfoot - Policy Exchange
Phil ip Blond - ResPublica
Shanker Singham - Legatum Institute
Dr. Madsen Pirie - Adam Smith Institute
Robert Colvile - Centre for Policy Studies
Tom Kibasi - Institute for Public Policy Research
Mark Littlewood - Institute for Economic Affairs
Government:
Susannah Storey - Director General, DExEU
Stewart Jackson - Special Adviser to David Davis
David Davis - Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
Steve Baker - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, DExEU
7 March 2018
Think Tank Roundtable Evaluation
A roundtable discussion, introduced by Steve Baker MP and chaired by Susannah Storey
and Nathan Phil ips.
Attendees - a range of think tanks, including:
● National Institute of Economic and Social Research
● Open Europe
● UK in a Changing Europe
● Legatum Institute
● Adam Smith Institute
● Centre for Policy Studies
● Institute for Public Policy Research
● Institute of Economic Affairs
● Institute for Government
● Social Market Foundation
22 March 2018
Cal between Lord Cal anan and Mark Littlewood. Shanker Singham also dial ed in.
10 May 2018
Meeting
Attendees:
● Philip Rycroft
● Eoin Parker
● Shanker Singham
13 June 2018
Meeting
Attendees:
● Suel a Braverman
● Shanker Singham
Information within the scope of your request contained in one minute is exempt from
disclosure under section 35(1)(a). Where it is not exempt under that section, it is exempt
under section 21(1) of the Act, being information which is reasonably accessible to you.
That information is the fact of Lord Cal anan’s cal with Mark Littlewood of the IEA on the 6
March 2018, which is listed in DExEU’s transparency data for Ministerial meetings for the
period January to March 2018. That is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720640/-DEx
EU_Ministers_Quarterly_Return_Q417.xlsx_-_Meetings.csv_-_COMPLETE_2018-12-06_D
ExEU_Ministers_Quarterly_Return_Q417.xlsx_-_Meetings.csv.csv/preview
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
xxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx or:
Freedom of Information Team (internal review)
Department for Exiting the European Union
9 Downing Street
SW1A 2AG
You should note that DExEU 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 DExEU. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team, DExEU.