Guidance

Cabinet Office FOI Referral Criteria (June 2023) (HTML)

Updated 14 December 2023

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Departments should refer to the Cabinet Office any FOI requests in which the Cabinet Office may have an equity in the information for advice and guidance, whether held or not. The relevant policy areas for referral are set out below:

  • Cabinet Collective Responsibility, including Cabinet and Cabinet committee documents and correspondence
  • The current Prime Minister or former Prime Ministers, and correspondence with No.10 - Ministers and very senior officials (past and present), including diaries, personal information and conduct
  • National Security matters
  • Honours and significant public appointments
  • Matters relating to The Royal Household or with a Royal interest
  • Other issues where Cabinet Office may have an equity, including parliamentary arrangements, confidence and supply agreements, passage of legislation, and unauthorised disclosures of information

From time to time the Cabinet Office may also ask departments to refer any FOI requests which relate to highly sensitive, complex or high profile matters not already captured under the categories above.

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