Freedom of Information request on batch testing of COVID-19 vaccines (FOI 21-006)
Published 24 March 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-25-january-2021/freedom-of-information-request-on-batch-testing-of-covid-19-vaccines-foi-21-006
29 January 2021
Thank you for your information request, dated 4 January 2012, where you asked for information about batch testing of COVID-19 vaccines
I am writing to advise you that unfortunately we will not be able to respond to your FOI request within the working 20 days set out in the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
Based on the nature of your case, some of the information you have requested falls under an exemption in the FOI Act (section 43 (commercial interests). Section 43 is a qualified exemption which means that we need to consider whether the public interest in releasing the information is outweighed by the public interest in not giving the information (the “public interest test”).
The FOI Act allows us to extend the deadline for reply beyond the usual 20 working days in order to consider the public interest test. As a result, the new deadline for responding to your request will now be 26 February although we will aim to reply before then.
Yours sincerely
MHRA Customer Service Centre
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU