ICO On 23 October 2007 the complainant made a request for information relating to a contract between Northern Ireland Water and Dalriada Water Ltd concerning the upgrade of existing water treatment facilities in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Water initially refused the request before providing a redacted version of the contract to the complainant. The complainant disputed the application of exemptions to the withheld information and the handling of his request. Following the Commissioner’s intervention, Northern Ireland Water accepted the Commissioner’s view that the information was environmental but maintained the view that the information originally withheld under the Act was also exempt under the EIR, relying on the exceptions at regulations 12(5)(a), 12(5)(e) and 13. The Commissioner’s decision is that Northern Ireland Water correctly withheld a small portion of the withheld information from the complainant but the remainder is not exempt and should be disclosed. The Commissioner also found a number of procedural breaches in relation to the handling of the request.
Section of Act/EIR and Finding: EIR 5 – Complaint Upheld, EIR 5 – Complaint Upheld, EIR 11 – Complaint Upheld, EIR 12.5.e – Complaint Partly Upheld, EIR 14 – Complaint Upheld, EIR 14 – Complaint Upheld
Citations:
[2010] UKICO FS50201639
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 03 June 2022; Ref: scu.531524