Health Protection Agency

The complainant contracted Legionnaires’ Disease during a holiday at a hotel in Malta. He requested details of the Maltese investigation into the outbreak, which were held by the UK Health Protection Agency in its role as coordinator of EWGLINET, a network of countries collaborating in the surveillance and control of communicable diseases. The information was withheld on the grounds that the HPA had received it in confidence and under a contractual arrangement. However, the Commissioner considers the information is environmental and not exempt under the Environmental Information Regulations and so has ordered its release.