You asked
Regarding the meeting ONS hosted on 24 June 2020 about the 2021 census guidance (as referred to in the FOI response from the ONS website - see link below), please can you provide copies of all correspondence between ONS and the various representatives who attended this meeting since the meeting took place, i.e. since 24 June to the present day.
We said
Thank you for your request.
The information requested is considered exempt from disclosure as the correspondence consists of consultation that is contributing to the formulation of government policy, specifically the content of the guidance for the 2021 Census. Consequently, Section 35 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies, whereby information is exempt if it relates to the formulation or development of government policy.
In line with FOIA, we have considered whether the disclosure of this information would be in the public interest.
Whilst we recognise the desirability for information pertaining to government decisions to be transparent in order to further public understanding of government decisions, we also value the public interest in the Government's capability to obtain genuine opinions from key organisations and stakeholders when considering census policy. Disclosure of the requested information could weaken the Government's ability to ascertain such honest and genuine opinions. This is particularly important for the census, as it is vital for enabling the government and local authorities to obtain a detailed picture of our society and subsequently plan for, and fund, local services. Therefore, ensuring the policy-formation process for the census takes into account a range of stakeholder views promotes the inclusivity of government decisions. Consequently, we find the public interest to be against disclosure in this instance.