The SFO have been claiming that I cannot have some of their information about Equitable Life because this is personal information. I wrote the following to the ICO, who are still adjudicating my FoI request:

"Thank you for your letter of 23rd June.

You ask whether I am prepared to withdrawn my complaint with regard to the SFO’s citing of section 40 (2). This is concerned with personal information. I am not interested in personal information such as about the family circumstances or health of individuals. Personal information is discussed in chapter 14 of Your Right to Know by Heather Brooke:

“You might not be interested specifically in information about other people, but while trying to get information about another topic its quite likely to contain references to identifiable individuals, such as public employees. The public have an interest, for example, in knowing the names and sponsoring companies of people on secondment to Government departments. ” (page 278-9).

I expect the personal information in the SFO material is of this kind, and as discussed by Heather Brooke I am entitled to see it, and therefore do not agree that the SFO is entitled to withhold information citing section 40(2).

I hope this answers your question."