Office for National Statistics
- Date 25 November 2008
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 10: Upheld, FOI 17: Upheld, FOI 44: Not upheld
The complainant requested information from the Office for National Statistics (the ‘ONS’) relating to the 1921 census return. The ONS withheld the requested information, relying on the exemptions under sections 44(1)(a) and 22(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act (the ‘Act’). The Commissioner’s decision is that the ONS has correctly applied the section 44(1)(a) exemption. The Commissioner does not therefore require the ONS to take any steps in relation to this request. However the Commissioner finds that the ONS did not comply with section 1(1) in that it failed to respond to the request within the statutory timescale.