Home Office

The complainant requested information concerning an honour awarded to a named individual. The public authority refused to disclose this information on the basis of sections 37(1)(b) (information relating to the conferring by the Crown of any honour or dignity) and 40(2) (personal information). The Commissioner does not uphold the refusal of this request and the public authority is required to disclose the information requested to the complainant. The Commissioner also finds that the public authority failed to comply with the procedural requirements of sections 10(1), 17(1) and 17(3)(b) of the Act in that it failed to respond within 20 working days of receipt of the request setting out why the request was refused and did not address the balance of the public interest in connection with section 40(2) in conjunction with section 40(4). Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2010/0043 has been disposed of by way of a consent order.