According to new figures for 2025 released by the Cabinet Office, Whitehall departments are becoming more secretive year-on-year. The right to Freedom of Information is under threat from Labour…
Cost limit refusals are up 45%. The government wants to reduce cost limits (already not protected from inflation) to block even more FOIs…
The core government departments are generally withholding the most information. Section 35 (government policy) exemption usage also rose by a whopping 46%. They don’t want you to know what they are planning…
Guido’s Right to Know campaign to save Freedom of Information allows co-conspirators to submit what they want to know with us for targeted requests at government departments. FOI is crucial and the public will not be bullied out of using it…
Head to the righttoknow.uk website. Ask the questions you want answering…
Whitehall Is Getting More Secretive Under Labour
Freedom of Information statistics, 2024 vs 2025 — Cabinet Office, 29 April 2026
|
17/21 Depts withholding |
+45% Cost limit |
+46% S.35 policy |
Requests withheld in full — % of resolvable
| Department | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HM Treasury | 51.7% | 67.9% | +16.2pp |
| DSIT | 31.7% | 47.3% | +15.6pp |
| DCMS | 41.1% | 50.7% | +9.6pp |
| Cabinet Office | 49.8% | 58.9% | +9.1pp |
| DEFRA | 51.4% | 57.5% | +6.1pp |
| FCDO | 42.8% | 48.7% | +5.9pp |
| Home Office | 40.5% | 45.2% | +4.8pp |
| MoD | 35.2% | 40.0% | +4.7pp |
| DHSC | 24.6% | 28.6% | +4.1pp |
| DfT | 25.0% | 28.9% | +3.9pp |
| DfE | 27.2% | 30.7% | +3.5pp |
| DWP | 50.9% | 53.6% | +2.7pp |
| DESNZ | 32.5% | 35.0% | +2.5pp |
| DBT | 38.0% | 39.8% | +1.8pp |
| MoJ | 40.7% | 42.4% | +1.7pp |
Cost limit refusals — biggest increases
| Department | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Office | 1,071 | 1,686 | +615 |
| HM Treasury | 296 | 720 | +424 (+143%) |
| DWP | 594 | 932 | +338 |
| DSIT | 46 | 244 | +198 (+430%) |
| Cabinet Office | 278 | 436 | +158 |
| FCDO | 313 | 470 | +157 |
S.35 ‘Government policy’ exemption — biggest increases
| Department | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSIT | 33 | 143 | +110 (+333%) |
| Home Office | 109 | 195 | +86 |
| MHCLG | 79 | 136 | +57 |
| DfE | 57 | 104 | +47 |
| DBT | 52 | 95 | +43 |
| FCDO | 30 | 66 | +36 |
Source: FOI statistics: annual 2025 bulletin, Cabinet Office, 29 April 2026. Accredited official statistics. ‘Withheld in full’ as % of resolvable requests. 15 of 21 departments shown (all with increased withholding ≥1.5pp). pp = percentage points.
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