{
 "schema": "ghf-wdtk-thread/1",
 "id": "WB-0403",
 "ev": "EV-0603",
 "wiki": "https://greathousefarmwiki.wordpress.com/evidence/ev-0603-whatdotheyknow-ministry-of-defence-1988-dispossession/",
 "slug": "1988_dispossession_of_great_hous",
 "title": "1988 Dispossession of Great House Farm, Llandough from the Williams/ Buckler Family",
 "authority": "Ministry of Defence",
 "url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous",
 "wdtk_status": "Refused",
 "status": "refused",
 "references": [
  "FOI2026/09019",
  "FOI2026/09190"
 ],
 "sent": "2026-05-01",
 "last_message": "2026-10-10",
 "outcome": "s.23(5) neither confirm nor deny for Special Forces; otherwise not held; upheld at internal review, which found the Act's time limit was not met. Parts passed on as a subject access request.",
 "deadlines": [
  {
   "label": "Response (20 working days)",
   "from_": "2026-05-01",
   "due": "2026-06-02",
   "answered": "2026-05-29",
   "result": "met"
  },
  {
   "label": "Internal review (40 working days, outer limit)",
   "from_": "2026-06-20",
   "due": "2026-08-14",
   "answered": "2026-10-10",
   "result": "missed"
  }
 ],
 "counts": {
  "messages": 7,
  "sent": 3,
  "received": 4,
  "attachments": 4
 },
 "messages": [
  {
   "n": 1,
   "wdtk_anchor": "outgoing-2067888",
   "direction": "sent",
   "date": "2026-05-01T02:44:44+01:00",
   "from": "Requester",
   "summary": "Request for any records of UK Armed Forces involvement (including Special Forces) in the 1988 eviction at Tŷ Mawr (Great House Farm), Llandough: deployments, MACA requests, correspondence with South Wales Police, the Council and the Welsh Office, and after-action reports.",
   "response_class": "request",
   "body": "Ministry of Defence,\nI am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding any involvement of UK Armed Forces personnel in mine, my pregnant mother and heart conditioned fathers eviction/dispossession that took place in 1988 at Ty Mawr (Great House Farm), Llandough, near Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan.\nSpecifically, I request the following:\n1. Whether any units of the UK Armed Forces, including but not limited to UK Special Forces (e.g. SAS), were deployed, tasked, or otherwise involved in this incident before, during or after the 1988 eviction (involving upto a reported 30 police officers).\n2. Any records, logs, operational reports, orders, requests or communications referring to military support to civil authorities in relation to this event.\n3. Any documentation relating to Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) requests connected to this incident.\n4. Any correspondence between the Ministry of Defence and:\n+ South Wales Police\n+ Vale of Glamorgan Council\n+ Welsh Office (as it existed at the time)\nconcerning the eviction or associated operations.\n5. Any internal assessments, reviews, or after-action reports relating to the use of force or military involvement in this case.\nFor clarity, the incident involved the removal of myself and my family from Ty Mawr (Great House Farm) in 1988, reportedly involving a significant and coordinated enforcement presence.\nIf any of the requested information is held but exempt from disclosure, please specify the relevant exemption(s) and provide any information that can be released in redacted form.\nIf the cost of compliance exceeds the statutory limit, I would be grateful if you could advise how the scope of this request might be refined.\nPlease confirm receipt of this request and provide a reference number.\nRegards,\nSion Buckler Esq. (Ret'd Sgt)\nManor of Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan\nService ID: 25148537",
   "body_public": null,
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#outgoing-2067888",
   "attachments": []
  },
  {
   "n": 2,
   "wdtk_anchor": "incoming-3431830",
   "direction": "received",
   "date": "2026-05-29T16:43:15+01:00",
   "from": "Ministry of Defence",
   "summary": "Response FOI2026/09019 (letter attached): neither confirm nor deny under s.23(5) for the Special Forces parts; no information held for the rest; pointed to The National Archives.",
   "response_class": "refusal with exemption cited (s.23(5))",
   "body": "Dear Mr Sion Buckler,\nPlease find attached our response to your recent FOI request.\nKind regards,\nDefence Business Services Records Review – FOI Team",
   "body_public": "Dear [requester],\nPlease find attached our response to your recent FOI request.\nKind regards,\nDefence Business Services Records Review – FOI Team",
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#incoming-3431830",
   "attachments": [
    {
     "wb": "WB-0408",
     "title": "Ministry of Defence FOI2026/09019 response: s.23(5) neither confirm nor deny (Special Forces); otherwise not held",
     "url": "https://wayback.bucklerfamily.estate/pdf/evidence/2026-05-29_mod_foi2026-09019-response.pdf",
     "mime": "application/pdf",
     "original_filename": "FOI2026.09019 Buckler.pdf",
     "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous/response/3431830/attach/3/FOI2026.09019%20Buckler.pdf",
     "note": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "n": 3,
   "wdtk_anchor": "outgoing-2095084",
   "direction": "sent",
   "date": "2026-06-20T21:27:17+01:00",
   "from": "Requester",
   "summary": "Internal review requested, and parts of the request asked to be handled as a subject access request.",
   "response_class": "internal review request",
   "body": "Dear Information Rights Compliance Team,\nI am writing to request an internal review of FOI2026/09019, and to formally clarify that this correspondence should also be treated as a Subject Access Request under UK GDPR (Article 15) insofar as it relates to my personal data.\n1. Dual legal basis (FOIA + UK GDPR)\nMy original request concerns an incident in which I was a child directly present in the household at the time of the 1988 eviction/dispossession. This engages not only FOIA considerations but also my right of access to personal data under UK GDPR, including any information from or about me held within MOD systems, historical records, liaison files, or operational documentation.\nAccordingly, please ensure this review is handled with the correct distinction between:\nFOIA exemptions relating to third-party or operational sensitivity, and\nUK GDPR obligations regarding personal data concerning a data subject (myself)\nWhere information is mixed personal and third-party data, I expect proper consideration of redaction rather than blanket refusal or “no information held” responses where records exist.\n2. Anticipated issue: “No information held”\nYour response states that no information is held for the non–section 23 parts of my request.\nGiven the nature of the event described (a coordinated enforcement operation involving multiple police officers), this conclusion requires clear evidential support.\nPlease confirm whether the search performed included:\nMACA (Military Aid to the Civil Authorities) liaison records and requests\nRegional military headquarters or district command diaries (Wales / Western regions, circa 1988)\nCivil contingency planning files involving police support or cross-agency assistance\nDefence–Home Office / Welsh Office liaison correspondence streams\nArchived operational logs later transferred to The National Archives (including DEFE/WO series material)\nIf these were not explicitly searched, please explain why they were considered out of scope.\nA conclusion of “no information held” is only reliable if searches were targeted, reasonably comprehensive, and capable of identifying transferred archival holdings, not limited to centrally indexed MOD FOI repositories.\n3. Anticipated issue: “Section 23(5) neither confirm nor deny”\nI acknowledge the application of section 23(5) in relation to Special Forces information.\nHowever, I request that the internal review confirms:\nWhether the “NCND” position was applied narrowly to Special Forces only, or\nWhether it has been used in a manner that may have inadvertently limited wider searches across non-exempt MACA or civil support records\nIt is important that section 23 is not treated as a proxy limitation on the scope of the entire request, as my request explicitly extends beyond Special Forces involvement.\n4. Adequacy of search (core issue)\nThe key issue for review is not exemption alone, but whether the search strategy was capable of identifying relevant historical operational liaison records at all.\nGiven the passage of time (1988), I would expect a reasonable approach to include:\nHistorical / archived command records\nDecommissioned or transferred MACA documentation\nCross-referencing of police support operations involving military liaison\nKeyword and event-based archival searches rather than only current MOD holdings\nIf none of these methods were used, please set out the reasoning for limiting the search methodology.\n5. UK GDPR – personal data scope\nAs I was a child present during the events described, I formally request confirmation of:\nWhether any MOD-held records contain personal data relating to me\nWhether any such data has been withheld under FOIA exemptions without assessment under UK GDPR\nWhether a separate Article 15 disclosure search has been conducted or will now be initiated\nIf necessary, I request that this part of my request be processed independently as a SAR with appropriate identity verification steps.\n6. Requested outcome of internal review\nFor clarity, I am seeking a review that specifically determines:\nWhether the MOD’s search strategy was sufficiently wide to capture historical MACA / civil support records\nWhether “no information held” remains a supportable conclusion after inclusion of archived and transferred record series\nWhether FOIA and UK GDPR obligations have been correctly separated and applied\nPlease confirm receipt of this request for internal review and confirm whether it will also be logged as a Subject Access Request under UK GDPR.\nYours sincerely,\nMr Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sgt)",
   "body_public": null,
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#outgoing-2095084",
   "attachments": []
  },
  {
   "n": 4,
   "wdtk_anchor": "incoming-3471357",
   "direction": "received",
   "date": "2026-07-04T10:09:21+01:00",
   "from": "Ministry of Defence",
   "summary": "Internal review acknowledged; target 21 July 2026, with 20–40 working days indicated.",
   "response_class": "acknowledgement only",
   "body": "Dear Mr Buckler,\nReceipt is acknowledged of your email of 9 June 2026 requesting an internal review of your request, our reference FOI2026/09019.\nThe Department's target for completing internal reviews is 20 working days from date of receipt. We therefore aim to have a response with you on or before 21 July 2026. However, in the interests of providing you with a realistic indication of when you should expect a response, the majority are currently taking longer depending on their complexity, but we will aim to complete the review between 20 and 40 working days.\nThe review will involve an independent assessment of the processing of the requests and the outcome.\nYours sincerely,\nMOD Information Rights Compliance Team",
   "body_public": "Dear [requester],\nReceipt is acknowledged of your email of 9 June 2026 requesting an internal review of your request, our reference FOI2026/09019.\nThe Department's target for completing internal reviews is 20 working days from date of receipt. We therefore aim to have a response with you on or before 21 July 2026. However, in the interests of providing you with a realistic indication of when you should expect a response, the majority are currently taking longer depending on their complexity, but we will aim to complete the review between 20 and 40 working days.\nThe review will involve an independent assessment of the processing of the requests and the outcome.\nYours sincerely,\nMOD Information Rights Compliance Team",
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#incoming-3471357",
   "attachments": []
  },
  {
   "n": 5,
   "wdtk_anchor": "outgoing-2113868",
   "direction": "sent",
   "date": "2026-07-21T13:53:28+01:00",
   "from": "Requester",
   "summary": "Chaser asking when the internal review will be completed.",
   "response_class": "follow-up",
   "body": "Dear Information Rights Compliance Team,\nI am writing to request an update on the progress of the internal review of FOI2026/09019.\nYour acknowledgement advised that the review would normally be completed within 20 working days, or between 20 and 40 working days for more complex cases. As I have not yet received the outcome, I would be grateful if you could advise when I should expect the review to be completed.\nI look forward to your response.\nKind regards,\nSion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant)\nRoyal Signals Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional and Life Member",
   "body_public": null,
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#outgoing-2113868",
   "attachments": []
  },
  {
   "n": 6,
   "wdtk_anchor": "incoming-3507980",
   "direction": "received",
   "date": "2026-08-05T06:59:30+01:00",
   "from": "Ministry of Defence",
   "summary": "MoD data-protection team asks for a personal email address and identity documents before handling the subject access part. Two MoD internal emails about the request were attached to this public reply.",
   "response_class": "clarification demand",
   "body": "OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - PERSONAL\nGood morning\nThank you for your email.\nWe have been passed on your enquiry and to allow us to proceed can I ask\nyou to provide your personal email address along with Valid\nIdentification. Please see guidance below.\nThe Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation\nrequire us to verify the identity of an individual before releasing any\ninformation. As such, to allow us to proceed with your request please\nforward a copy of either:\nA.      Your photographic Driving Licence showing your current address\nOr\nB.      Your current signed passport AND a utility bill or official\ncorrespondence which shows your current address and is dated within the\nlast three months.\nIf your current name differs from the name under which you served, please\nprovide documentary proof of your name change, such as a copy of a\nmarriage certificate, divorce decree or a copy of your deed poll showing\nthe change.\nUpon receipt of the above we will begin processing your request.\nKind Regards,\nPaula\nAO |Disclosures Triage MP 660 | Support Branch | HQ Military Secretary\n| 65 Brown Street | Glasgow G2 8EX\n[1][email address]\nOFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - PERSONAL",
   "body_public": "OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - PERSONAL\nGood morning\nThank you for your email.\nWe have been passed on your enquiry and to allow us to proceed can I ask\nyou to provide your personal email address along with Valid\nIdentification. Please see guidance below.\nThe Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation\nrequire us to verify the identity of an individual before releasing any\ninformation. As such, to allow us to proceed with your request please\nforward a copy of either:\nA.      Your photographic Driving Licence showing your current address\nOr\nB.      Your current signed passport AND a utility bill or official\ncorrespondence which shows your current address and is dated within the\nlast three months.\nIf your current name differs from the name under which you served, please\nprovide documentary proof of your name change, such as a copy of a\nmarriage certificate, divorce decree or a copy of your deed poll showing\nthe change.\nUpon receipt of the above we will begin processing your request.\nKind Regards,\n[name]\nAO |Disclosures Triage MP 660 | Support Branch | HQ Military Secretary\n| 65 Brown Street | Glasgow G2 8EX\n[1][email address]\nOFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - PERSONAL",
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#incoming-3507980",
   "attachments": [
    {
     "wb": "WB-0409",
     "title": "Copy of the 1 May 2026 request email, attached by the MoD to its 5 August 2026 reply",
     "url": "https://wayback.bucklerfamily.estate/text/evidence/2026-05-01_mod_copy-of-request-email-attached-to-reply.txt",
     "mime": "text/plain; charset=utf-8",
     "original_filename": "Freedom of Information request 1988 Dispossession of Great House Farm Llandough from the Williams Buckler Family.txt",
     "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous/response/3507980/attach/3/Freedom%20of%20Information%20request%201988%20Dispossession%20of%20Great%20House%20Farm%20Llandough%20from%20the%20Williams%20Buckler%20Family.txt",
     "note": null
    },
    {
     "wb": "WB-0410",
     "title": "MoD internal emails on the internal review and subject access request, attached to the 5 August 2026 public reply",
     "url": "https://wayback.bucklerfamily.estate/text/evidence/2026-07-04_mod_internal-emails-on-internal-review-and-sar.txt",
     "mime": "text/plain; charset=utf-8",
     "original_filename": "RE Internal review of Freedom of Information request 1988 Dispossession of Great House Farm Llandough from the Williams Buckler Family.txt",
     "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous/response/3507980/attach/4/RE%20Internal%20review%20of%20Freedom%20of%20Information%20request%201988%20Dispossession%20of%20Great%20House%20Farm%20Llandough%20from%20the%20Williams%20Buckler%20Family.txt",
     "note": "Direct-dial phone numbers redacted in this copy."
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "n": 7,
   "wdtk_anchor": "incoming-3588665",
   "direction": "received",
   "date": "2026-10-10T10:27:22+01:00",
   "from": "Ministry of Defence",
   "summary": "Internal review FOI2026/09190 (letter attached): the request was not handled within the time the Act requires; no information held; s.23(5) upheld; parts passed on as a subject access request.",
   "response_class": "complaint outcome (s.23(5) upheld)",
   "body": "Dear Ms Buckler,\nPlease find attached a response to your request for internal review.\nYours sincerely,\nMOD Information Rights Compliance Team",
   "body_public": "Dear [requester],\nPlease find attached a response to your request for internal review.\nYours sincerely,\nMOD Information Rights Compliance Team",
   "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous#incoming-3588665",
   "attachments": [
    {
     "wb": "WB-0411",
     "title": "Ministry of Defence internal review FOI2026/09190: not handled within time; not held; s.23(5) upheld",
     "url": "https://wayback.bucklerfamily.estate/pdf/evidence/2026-10-10_mod_foi2026-09190-internal-review.pdf",
     "mime": "application/pdf",
     "original_filename": "20261010 FOI2026 09190 Buckler Farm Dispossession Rev.pdf",
     "wdtk_url": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous/response/3588665/attach/3/20261010%20FOI2026%2009190%20Buckler%20Farm%20Dispossession%20Rev.pdf",
     "note": null
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "archived": "2026-10-21",
 "statement": "",
 "site": "https://whatdotheyknow.bucklerfamily.estate/r/1988_dispossession_of_great_hous/",
 "thread_json": "https://wayback.bucklerfamily.estate/text/evidence/wdtk/2026-05-01_wdtk-mod_1988-dispossession-of-great-hous.json"
}