The complainant requested information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (‘the FCDO’) about correspondence between the FCDO and a number of British overseas territories. By the date of this notice the FCDO had not issued a substantive response to this request. The Commissioner’s decision is that the FCDO has failed to complete its deliberations on the balance of the public interest within a reasonable time and has therefore breached section 17(3) of the FOIA. The Commissioner requires the FCDO to take the following step to ensure compliance with the legislation: Having confirmed that information is held within the scope of the request: either disclose the requested information or issue a refusal notice in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the FOIA.
FOI 17(3): Complaint upheld
Citations:
[2022] UKICO ic-150802
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 18 November 2022; Ref: scu.674879