Information Rights Unit
HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ
Madhu Murgia
020 7270 5000
xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
www.gov.uk/hm-treasury
2 March 2022
Dear Madhu Murgia
Ref: FOI2022/02118 and
FOI2022/02117
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Thank you for both your enquiries of 2 February 2022, which we have considered under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the FOI Act). We are grouping your
requests and responding to the together, as they both relate to meetings.
On 2 February 2022, you asked for the following information (FOI2022/02118):
“For the meeting held on 27/02/2020 between Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP and
Google UK, with purpose Meeting to discuss technology policy
could you please provide the following information:
• A full list of attendees, including full names and titles as well as who the
attendee represents
• A copy of the meeting agenda
• Meeting notes/minutes taken during the meeting, as well as any briefing notes
and papers
• Any correspondence associated with the attendees, including debriefs of the
meeting via email or other forms of communication.”
In a separate request on the same day, you also asked for the following information
(FOI2022/02117:)
“For the meeting held on 15/03/2021 between Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP and Google
UK, with purpose To discuss digital skills
could you please provide the following information:
• A full list of attendees, including full names and titles as well as who the
attendee represents
• A copy of the meeting agenda
• Meeting notes/minutes taken during the meeting, as well as any briefing notes
and papers
• Any correspondence associated with the attendees, including debriefs of the
meeting via email or other forms of communication.”
Following a search of our records we can confirm that HM Treasury does hold information
within the scope of your requests.
We consider that the information you have requested engages section 35(1)(a) of the FOI
Act – the formulation or development of government policy. This is a qualified exemption
and we are required to balance the public interest between disclosure and non-disclosure.
By virtue of Section 10(3) of the FOI Act, where public authorities have to consider the
balance of the public interest in relation to a request, they do not have to comply with the
requests until such time as is reasonable under the circumstances.
We always aim to reply to requests in full within 20 working days, even when the
balancing of the public interest is required. However, in this case the Treasury has not yet
resolved the different considerations. We therefore need to take some additional time to
assess whether the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public
interest in disclosing it.
We estimate that it will take us another 20 working days to complete our consideration,
although we will of course reply sooner if possible. We therefore expect to provide our
substantive reply by 30 March 2022
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us. Please quote the reference
number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Unit
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including this letter, continue to be protected by Crown copyright. This is because they will
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/
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
If you are not happy with this reply, you can request a review by writing to HM Treasury,
Information Rights Unit, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ or by emailing us at the
address below. Any review request must be made within 40 working days of the date of
this letter.
Email: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
It would assist our review if you set out which aspects of the reply concern you and why
you are dissatisfied.
If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you may apply directly to the
Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Commissioner will not make a
decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by HM Treasury
which is outlined above.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF (or via their website at:
https://ico.org.uk).
