an ongoing work made by roisin

AMBASSADOR JOHN BUCK
British ambassador to Portugal from 2004 to 2007
Left office the day after the McCanns were made arguidos.

Friday May 4/Saturday May 5, 2007(conflicting reports):

Ambassador Buck drove from Lisbon to Praia da Luz. (Distance is approximately 3 hours by car.)

Saturday May 5, 2007

Drove in from Lisbon "to be with the family after they begged him for help."

Embassy spokesman said Buck was driving down to do everything for the McCanns that he could.

Ambassador Buck and 3 "family liaison officers from Leicestershire police held a private meeting with the McCanns "at the resort" on the afternoon of May 5th.

Announced to reporters that 3 British police agents had arrived from Leicestershire to help with the *investigation*.

He stated that the officers would act as a "liaison" between the McCanns and Portuguese police and between the Portuguese and British police.

"..Mr. Buck was there to introduce the family liaison officers to the McCanns..."

The 3 "family liaison officers were flown out "at the request of the Foreign Commonwealth Office.

Leicestershire spokeswoman said the 3 officers were there "simply to assist the family" and were not going to have anything to do with theinvestigation at this point.

Told reporters that the investigation had been "intensive and extensive".

Reportedly Ambassador Buck "accompanied the couple...during the search on May 5"

Reported to have been "...with the family throughout their ordeal..."

Ambassador Buck's intervention was credited by the McCann's family and friends as being the only reason that the search for Madeleine was upgraded to a major investigation.

"Despite being convinced - for reasons they have refused to make public - that Madeleine is still in the Algarve, Interpol have been alerted about her disappearance and checks were being made at every Portuguese port and airport."

Sunday May 6, 2007

Ambassador Buck attended church service officiated by Father Jose Manuel Pacheco.

Monday May 7, 2007

Ambassador Buck apparently returned to Lisbon

Tuesday May 8, 2007

Ambassador Buck traveled to the Algarve and met the McCanns. Reports were that the meeting lasted an hour.

Buck gave a television interview in which he said he had been in touch with Portuguese ministers and the prime minister Jose Socrates, and senior police chiefs who assured him everything possible was being done to ensure the safe return of Madeleine. Buck said that he was making sure the links between the British and Portuguese officers were working, after concerns had begun to be expressed regarding the experience and expertise of the Portuguese investigators.

Buck made a statement to the media announcing the arrival of additional British experts

Said that investigators were in close touch with Interpol and Europol

Said the McCanns were "very grateful for their efforts"

Ambassador Buck was interviewed by the Leicester Mercury.

"As you know, I spent quite a lot of time with the McCann family on Friday and over the weekend. "I wanted to come down today to see Kate and Gerry again and to continue to support our consular staff, who have been working on this for a number of days."

Wednesday May 9, 2007

An email between Portimão and Lisbon of 9 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "Personal Information" exemption: Section 40 (2) and (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Further information emerged regarding the 2 additional experts Buck had announced on Tuesday May 8th.

Ambassador Buck said they were "kidnapping experts" and had joined the 3 other British investigators who had been in Portugal since Saturday

"... two 'Cracker-style' criminal behaviour experts from Britain flew into the Algarve yesterday to join investigators..."

They were from CEOP and their dispatch had been organised by the British Foreign Office.

"A spokeswoman for the CEOP said the move was unprecedented and had been organised by the Foreign Office."

Thursday May 10, 2007

A Foreign Commonwealth Office internal email of 10 May 2007 (12a) was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between the United Kingdom and any other State

A Foreign Commonwealth Office internal email of 10 May 2007 (13aa) was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between theUnited Kingdom and any other State

Friday May 11, 2007

An email between the Foreign Commonwealth Office and John Buck of 11 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between theUnited Kingdom and any other State

An email between John Buck and the Foreign Commonwealth Office of 11 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between theUnited Kingdom and any other State

An internal Foreign Commonwealth Office email of 11 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between theUnited Kingdom and any other State

Monday May 14, 2007

Ambassador Buck present in Praia da Luz

Spoke to national chief of police in Lisbon and chief investigating officer in the Algarve.

Thanked journalists for respecting the McCann's privacy and said there were impressive resources allocated to the investigation.

Said the resources are primarily Portuguese but that there were a number of British police officers working closely with their Portuguese colleagues in the Algarve.

Arrived late for a scheduled news conference and found journalists fleeing toward Casa Lilliana where a search was underway.

Tuesday May 15, 2007

An email between Lisbon and Foreign Commonwealth Office of 15 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between the United Kingdom and any other State

Wednesday May 16, 2007

A letter from John Buck to Foreign Commonwealth Office of 16 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This letter (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between theUnited Kingdom and any other State

Thursday May 17, 2007

An internal document was sent by the Foreign Office ordering British diplomats 'to avoid offering support' to Robert Murat unless charges were presented against him." (Note: Murat was made an arguido on May 15 and the Foreign Office internal memo was allegedly dated May 17.)

Tuesday May 22, 2007

An email between Portimão and Foreign Commonwealth Office of 22 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between the United Kingdom and any other State

Thursday May 24, 2007

An email between Portimao and Foreign Commonwealth Office of 24 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between the United Kingdom and any other State

Ambassador Buck, consular officials and British police had an "informal" meeting with the McCanns "over tea." Reports stated that the McCann's travel plans were up for discussion. The following day Portuguese police issued a detailed description of the "possible suspect".

Reports were that ""...The British embassy duly applied pressure on the Portuguese authorities to find more flexibility in their secrecy laws..."

Friday May 25, 2007

Ambassador Buck met again with the McCanns and British police.

Portuguese police issued detailed description of possible abductor.

Sunday May 27, 2007

News emerged that the McCanns had held discussions with Gordon Brown

Personal intervention of Gordon Brown was reported. Gordon Brown was reported to have urged police to give more public details after the McCanns voiced their concern about the lack of disclosure by Portuguese detectives.

June 18, 2007

A Foreign Commonwealth Office internal email of 18 June 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between the United Kingdom and any other State

June 19, 2007

An email between John Buck and Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO)/ Portimao of 19 June 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "International relations" exemption: Section 27.1.a. (1)Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—( a) relations between the United Kingdom and any other State

June 21, 2007

An email between Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO)/ Lisbon of of 21 June 2007 (19b) was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns.

This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "Personal Information" exemption: Section 40 (2) and (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

September 10, 2007

Ambassador John Buck was replaced as the British Ambassador to Portugal by Alexander Ellis.

It was announced that Buck had "left the diplomatic service".
The press release stated that Mr. Ellis would take up this appointment with "immediate effect."

October 2007

In October 2007 an individual asked (under the Freedom of Information Act 2000) for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for information concerning communications between the then Ambassador to Portugal John Buck and the Portuguese police on the subject of the disappearance of the child Madeleine McCann. Reference: FS50188322. Some information was released straight away and some information was withheld. Since that time the Foreign Office released "most" but not all of the requested information. (Withheld information noted above.) The Information Commissioner's Office reviewed the matter and in March 2009 decided that the Foreign Office had complied with section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act but had breached section 1(1)(b) of the Act by failing to provide the information within the specified time limit. The commissioner upheld the Foreign Office decision to withhold some information, stating that the public interested in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information. The ICO also decided that personal information withheld was done so correctly.

December 3, 2007

A memo was leaked to the Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure [note byxklamation: article written by Nuno Miguel Duarte Levy]regarding a diplomat's concerns about the case. Questions have been raised as to whether the memo may have been written by Ambassador Buck or someone in his office, although diplomat's name was not published in the newspaper articles.

The leaked memo was routed through the British diplomatic mission in Brussels

The leaked memo was sent "just days" after Madeleine disappeared.

The leaked memo warned the Foreign Office of concerns regarding the McCanns and warned of the risks of siding with the McCanns in public.

The diplomat immediately had doubts after being sent to Praia da Luz due to what he considered to be inconsistencies in their testimonies and "confused declarations" as to the whereabouts of the McCanns and their friends on May 3.
The memo mentions instructions "from London" that consular staff "overstretch their authority and put pressure on Portuguese authorities."

The memo refers to orders sent the previous day from the Foreign Office in London commanding embassy staff to provide all possible assistance to the McCanns and that the McCanns "had to be "accompanied at all times during any contact with the Portuguese police" by a member of consular staff or by British police officers sent out from the UK.

He also mentioned their lack of cooperation with the Portuguese police

The memo was sent *from the Algarve* to the Foreign office days after Madeleine "went missing"

Quote: ""With the greatest respect, I would like to make you aware of the risks and implications to our relationship with the Portuguese authorities, if you consider the possible involvement of the couple. "Please confirm to me, in the light of these concerns, that we want to continue to be closely involved in the case as was requested in your previous message."

The Belgian report also stated that Portuguese detectives believe it is possible Madeleine died as the result of an accident on May 3 in the family's holiday apartment and that her parents hid and later disposed of her body with the help of their friends. They said it is highly significant that almost all of the diplomats involved at the outset have now been taken off the case.

December 12, 2007

Reports emerged that British diplomats had been ordered by the Foreign Office to "avoid offering support" to Robert Murat.

The claim was made that an internal Foreign Office memo had sent the instructions three days after Murat was made an arguido (Note: May 15 is the date Murat was made an arguido.)

According to Spain's El Mundo newspaper, the order was justified due to the "specific nature of the case".

The internal memo allegedly stated that British diplomats were to "avoid offering support" to Murat unless charges were pressed against him.

SOURCES:

Abducted Girl's Family Pray For Her Safe Return 6 May 2007 Scotland On Sunday
Abducted Girl's Relatives Now 'Fear The Worst' Marc Horne 6 May 2007 Scotland On Sunday
Britain's Diplomats 'Were Told Not To Support Murat' The Daily Express 13 December 2007
British Child Crime Experts Join Portuguese Search 9 May 2007 Reuters News
British Diplomat Warned Foreign Office Of Concerns Over Mccanns Daily Mail 3 Dec 2007
British Diplomats 'Were Told To Avoid Offering Support To Murat' 12 Dec 2007 Daily Mail
British Experts Fly To Portugal To Help In Hunt For Madeleine 9 May 2007 The Guardian
British Police Join Inquiry Into Madeleine's Disappearance 10 May 2007 Belfast Telegraph
British Police Join Search For Girl Missing In Portugal 5 May 2007 Agence France Presse
Brown Urged Police To Give More Details: Chancellor Acts After Parents Voice Their Concern At The Lack Of Disclosure By Portuguese Detectives 27 May 2007 The Observer
Chancellor 'Spoke To Missing Madeleine's Father' 26 May 2007 Press Association
Change Of Her Majesty's Ambassador To Portugal / Press Release
Cops Hunt 'Suspect' 6 May 2007 Sunday Sun
Cracker' Experts Join Hunt For Madeleine 9 May 2007 Evening Express
Diplomat's Secret File That Raises Fears About Her Parents The Daily Express Nick Fagge Dec. 3, 2007
Everything Possible Is Being Done' 9 May 2007 Leicester Mercury
Experts On Tracing Paedophiles Fly Out To Boost Search For Girl; Missing Madeleine May 9, 2007 The Times
Family Distraught As Hunt For Madeleine Continues 5 May 2007 Press Association
Finally, Portuguese Police Put Maddy On Their Website 9 May 2007 The Evening Standard
Find Prime Suspect 6 May 2007 People
In The Middle Of The Media Scrum 30 May 2007 Leicester Mercury Paul Conroy
Information Commissioner's Office Freedom Of Information Act 2000 (Section 50) Decision Notice 3 March 2009 Public Authority: Foreign And Commonwealth Office - Reference: Fs50188322
Maddie: The Last Picture 25 May 2007 Daily Star
Madeleine Police Are Doing Their Best, Says Ambassador 9 May 2007 Aberdeen Press & Journal
Madeleine Police Hunt For Suspect: White Man, 35-40 Friend Thought To Have Seen Male Carrying A Bundle That Could Have Been The Child 26 May 2007 The Herald
Madeleine's Parents 'Can'T Consider' Return To Britain 14 May 2007 Press Association
Madeleine: 350 Possible Leads 9 May 2007 The Scotsman
Missing British Three-Year-Old 'Abducted 5 May 2007 Press Association
Missing Toddler's Mum Joins Locals At Church Service 7 May 2007 Aberdeen Press & Journal
Newscast: Police In Portugal Question And Release British Man In Connection With Abduction Of Madeleine McCann 15 May 2007 CBS News: The Early Show
Nothing Describes Anguish For Our Maddie; Hunt For Lost Maddie 5 May 2007 The Sun
Police Fear British Girl Was Abducted 5 May 2007 The Irish Examiner
Police Forced Into U-Turn In Missing Madeleine Hunt 26 May 2007 Press Association
Police Seal Off Villa In Hunt For Madeleine 15 May 2007 The Herald
Portuguese Hunt Goes On As Ronaldo Appeals For Girl 8 May 2007 Reuters News
Portuguese Police Good At Clearing Up Crime But Let Down By Lack Of Experience 29 May 2007 The Times
Portuguese Police Say Missing British Girl May Have Been Abducted 5 May 2007 Associated Press
Seven Hours After This, Madeleine Was Gone 25 May 2007 Birmingham Post
Shutters Had Been Jemmied.. Maddie Was Gone 5 May 2007 The Sun
Statement To The Media By John Buck, British Ambassador To Portugal Praia da Luz, Algarve, Portugal, 08/05/07
Suspect Is Sought In Search For Girl 5 May 2007 Leicester Mercury
Suspect's Description Made Public After Family Pressure 27 May 2007 Sunday Herald
Tape From Petrol Station In Portugal May Show Missing Girl 9 May 2007 Agence France Presse
The Hunt For Madeleine 10 July 2007 Press Association Aislinn Simpson
Timeline Of Police Hunt For Missing Child 8 May 2007 Press Association Nicola Boden
We Know Maddy Monster 6 May 2007 The Express On Sunday

adding extra information

McCann Case: Foreign Office Secrets
English Government cuts with the McCanns

What was left was to act at a political level and Alistair Clark, Gerry's friend from the times of the University of Glasgow - the first in International Relations and the second in the Faculty of Medicine - was the perfect contact.

Alistair, with whom the CM wasn't able to contact up to the closure of this edition, is today a professor in an university in Belfast, Ireland, and also an assessor to the English Labour party Government. Gordon Brown was at the time the Treasury Minister and the candidate to Tony Blair's position.

The support given by Gordon Brown started with the press advisement, sending the couple the one who is today his right arm in Downing street, Clarence Mitchell.

The Ambassador John Buck, meanwhile, was the director of the Central Office of Information of the British Government [link: http://www.coi.gov.uk/], to witch it belongs the Media Monitoring Unit, then directed by Clarence Mitchell and in the direct dependency of the Prime Minister's Cabinet.

The route that the PJ investigation has taken in the last month has left Gordon Brown's Cabinet apprehensive and the Prime Minister has decided to cut his direct connection to Gerry McCann.

translated from Correio da Manhã, 14 September 2007



On this matter from FOI newsin March 18th 2009:

Sensitive e-mails concerning the hunt for missing child Madeleine McCann will remain secret for fear of offending the Portuguese authorities who were tasked with finding her.

A request for the disclosure of 13 e-mails and one letter, which were written in the two months after Madeleine went missing, was refused by the Information Commissioner.

The Foreign Office had dealt with the original request which had asked for copies of communication between the then Ambassador to Portugal John Buck and the Portuguese police. Some information was supplied immediately and another batch was released after the requester called in the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)to hold an appeal.

However, a number of documents were not released by the Foreign Office and these were examined by officers from the ICO.

The documents were not released by the Foreign Office primarily on the grounds that they were covered by the Section 27 exemption (International Relations) and that the public interest test rested in favour of non-disclosure.

In the appeal the requester recognised that the documents would be covered by S.27 but argued that the public interest was in favour of their release.

The complainant said the release was in the public interest in order to uphold public confidence that British authorities do everything possible to help find missing children, reassure people the authorities keep in close contact with the police involved in the search and ensure public funds are used effectively to help find missing children.

But the Commissioner said in his decision that the disclosure would offend the Portuguese authorities.

He went on to say: “..even now, to disclose full information about the then ambassador’s communications with the Portuguese authorities then, on a balance of probabilities, substantial damage to the international relationship would result.”

He added: “The Commissioner is mindful of the need for the UK authorities to be seen to be worthy of trust by their foreign counterparts in Portugal and elsewhere in the world.

“He sees significant risk that disclosure of confidences or of other sensitive material would have damaging implications for any possible further developments on this matter and any relevant future investigations in Portugal or elsewhere in the world. This would not be in the best interests of the McCann family, including Madeleine, or of other UK citizens travelling to Portugal or elsewhere outside the UK.”

The Commissioner ruled that the S.27 exemption was engaged and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in the release of the information.

Full decision - PDF document



Editor’s note: The clear indication from this judgement is that the ruling was made because of the content of the documents. Had the documents been congratulating the Portuguese authorities it is hard to imagine they would have caused “offence” and so therefore could have been released because they would not have put at risk our international relations. The inference has to be that the few documents that have not been released are perhaps less than complimentary about the local authorities. But of course we will now never know. The lesson for Foreign Office staff might be that the more provocative their views the less likely they are to be released.

McCann Case: Freedom of Information Act on John Buck former Ambassador

It was Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who were behind the instructions given to the UK ambassador, John Buck, and to the British consul, Bill Henderson (the two senior UK diplomats in Portugal at the time she disappeared), to make sure Gerry and Kate McCann were given all possible assistance.

A few minutes after the return to Faro of the team of experts that the PJ had sent to Leicester, Her Majesty's British Ambassador, John Buck, to the Portuguese Republic was already visiting their premises. The presence of the diplomat, that has been confirmed by several journalist, is in direct relation with the Madeleine McCann case and was not asked by the Portuguese Authorities. The ambassador has stayed half an hour with the police.

John Buck - British Ambassador in Portugal in May 2006 - resigns his post on 10/09/07 - shortly after the McCanns are made suspects. John is replaced by Alexander Ellis. Leaves the Diplomatic Services entirely.



Related

Daily Express: Madeleine: British Diplomat had doubts about McCanns
3 December 2007 (no longer on-line)

A British diplomat warned the Foreign Office of concerns regarding Mad­eleine McCann’s parents, it emerged last night. Doubts about Kate and Gerry McCann were raised almost immediately by an official sent to Praia da Luz due to what he considered to be “inconsistencies” in the couple’s testimonies about the night the four-year-old vanished. The warning was contained in a classified document sent from the Algarve to the Foreign Office days after Madeleine’s disappearance. Details of the letter have been leaked through the British diplomatic mission in Brussels to the respected Belgian newspaper Derniere Heure.

The unnamed diplomat voices his concern about the “confused declarations” as to the whereabouts of Kate and Gerry McCann and their friends in the final hours before Madeleine’s disappearance. He also mentions the couple’s “lack of co-operation” with the Portuguese police in the light of instructions from London suggesting consular staff “overstretch their authority and put pressure on the Portuguese authorities”. The document also asks for confirmation of orders sent by the Foreign Office in London the day before, commanding embassy staff to give “all possible assistance to the McCann couple”.

Diplomats on the Algarve were told the McCanns had to be “accompanied at all times during any contact with the Portuguese police” by a member of consular staff or by British police officers sent out from the UK. The letter, sent just days after Madeleine disappeared, warns of the risks of siding with the McCanns so completely. Excerpts published in a report by La Derniere Heure quote the diplomat as saying: “With the greatest respect, I would like to make you aware of the risks and implications to our relationship with the Portuguese authorities, if you consider the possible involvement of the couple. “Please confirm to me, in the light of these concerns, that we want to continue to be closely involved in the case as was requested in your previous ­message.”

A huge team of diplomats have been involved in the case since Gerry McCann asked the Foreign Office for help. In an unprecedented move, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair dispatched special envoy Sheree Dodd, a former Fleet Street journalist, to Portugal to act as a “med­ia liaison officer” for the McCann family. Direct government communications with the McCanns came to an abrupt halt, however, when the couple were made official suspects in the case in September.

Portuguese detectives believe it is possible Madeleine died as the result of an accident on May 3 in the family’s holiday apartment and that her parents hid and later disposed of her body with the help of their friends. The couple have always said they had nothing to do with their daughter’s disappearance. The Belgian report says it is highly significant that almost all of the diplomats involved at the outset have now been taken off the case.

Special envoy Sheree Dodd has since resigned from the Foreign Office, the British consul in the Algarve Bill Henderson has retired and the British ambassador to Portugal John Buck is no longer in Portugal. Last night the Foreign Office refused to comment on the report.

Extracts from the FOI released by ICO - Information Commissioner's Office

Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Section 50) Decision Notice 3 March 2009 Public Authority: Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Reference: FS50188322

In October 2007 the complainant asked the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for information concerning communications between the then Ambassador to Portugal John Buck and the Portuguese police on the subject of the disappearance of the child Madeleine McCann. However, some further information continued to be withheld; it was this refusal to provide information that the Commissioner investigated.

FCO added that, at the time of the internal review (December 2007), the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann had been ongoing and that, for legal reasons, it had not been possible to disclose further information then.

FCO told the Commissioner that, although the Portuguese authorities had released many documents about the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, sensitivities remained and FCO believed that the section 27(1)(a)* exemption still applied. If FCO were to disclose all the details about HM Ambassador’s contact with the Portuguese police they would risk damaging the relationship on which good inter-governmental co-operation was based.



FCO recognised the public interest in knowing the extent of UK government involvement in the investigation but believed that the reasons for exemption outweighed those that favoured release.

*The exemption under section 27 exists to protect the United Kingdom's international relations, its interests abroad and the United Kingdom's ability to protect and promote those interests. [full PDF here]

Section 27 consists of two different kinds of exemption:

Section 27(1) focuses on the effects of disclosure rather than on the type of information. Information is exempt if its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice any of the matters mentioned in section 27(1)(a) - (d):

a) relations between the UK and any other state

b) relations between the UK and any international organisation or international court

c) the interests of the UK abroad

d)the promotions or protection by the UK of its interests abroad

Section 27(2) protects confidential information obtained from a foreign state, an international organisation, or an international court. Section 27(2) describes information by reference to its origins and the circumstances in which it was obtained.