Copy of research material produced by Policy Research Unit (PRU)

I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request but it is subject to a Refusal Notice under section 43(2) of the FOIA.

This exemption applies where the disclosure of information would or would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person.

The PRU is a subscription-based service and the research materials are only available to those who pay to use the service, or to IPSA as part of its assurance review process.

Subscribers have access to research materials produced by the PRU which is carried out for a fee; we believe that it would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the PRU to disclose this material into the public domain for free.

We accept that some of the material which is held dates back a few years, however, it was still obtained as part of IPSA’s assurance review process and therefore we maintain that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure at this time.