The complainant alleged that Correctional Service Canada (CSC) had improperly withheld information under subsection 19(1) (personal information) as well as paragraphs 20(1)(b) (confidential third-party financial, commercial, scientific or technical information), 20(1)(c) (financial impact on a third party) and 21(1)(a) (advice or recommendations) of the Access to Information Act in response to an access request for a contract between CSC and a third party, Presidia Security Consulting Inc. (Presidia). The complaint falls within paragraph 30(1)(a) of the Act.

Over the course of the investigation, CSC decided to no longer rely on paragraph 21(1)(a) and to disclose additional information following the response to the request. The Information Commissioner remained of the view that some information withheld under subsection 19(1) and section 20 was also improperly withheld. CSC agreed that the information previously withheld pursuant to subsection 19(1) did not meet the requirements of the exemptions on certain pages but maintained its application of section 20.

Therefore, the Information Commissioner ordered that the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada release the specific information that was previously withheld pursuant to subsection 19(1) and section 20 to the complainant. Following this order, CSC has released the additional information.

The complaint is well founded.