Exceptions

Sometimes, disclosing information would have adverse consequences (for example, disclosing the nesting location of a rare bird species). To prevent such an event happening, the regulations contain a number of exceptions which allow public authorities to withhold information.

For example, we may refuse to make information available if disclosure would adversely affect:

international relations, defence, national security or public safety
the course of justice, the conduct an enquiry of a criminal or disciplinary nature
intellectual property rights
the confidentiality of the proceedings of public authorities (where such confidentiality is provided for by law)
the confidentiality of commercial or industrial information (where such confidentiality is protected by law)
the interests of the person who provided the information (where that person was not under any obligation to supply that information, and they have not consented to disclosure)
the protection of the environment to which the information relates.