Freedom of Information request on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines (FOI 22/348)
Published 31 May 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-7-february-2022/freedom-of-information-request-on-the-safety-of-covid-19-vaccines-foi-22348
FOI 22/348
8th February 2022
Dear
Thank you for your email of 11th January where you have asked “I want to know which legal company you have spoken to regarding my complaint and provide copies of the advice they have given to the mhra”
The information you have requested is withheld under section 42(1) of the FOIA, which relates to information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be upheld. Section 42 is a qualified exemption, which means that we have considered whether the public interest in releasing the information is outweighed by the public interest in not giving the information. While we recognise a general public interest in the availability of information about Covid vaccines, we also take into account the very strong public interest in upholding the principle of legal professional privilege. This is because we recognise, and the courts recognise, that a client must be sure that what they tell their lawyer in confidence will never be revealed without consent.
If you disagree with how we have interpreted the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in answering your request, you can ask for an internal review. Please reply to this email, within two months of this reply, specifying that you would like an Internal Review to be carried out.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you were to remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you would have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Please bear in mind that the Information Commissioner will not normally review our handling of your request unless you have first contacted us to conduct an internal review. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely
MHRA Customer Experience Centre