Valuation Office Agency

The complainant asked the Valuation Office Agency (the “public authority”) to provide information relating to a specific property which was owned by her. The public authority provided some information, outside the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (the “Act”), but withheld the remainder using the exemptions in sections 44(1) (prohibitions on disclosure) and 43(2) (commercial interests). The Commissioner’s decision is that the exemption in section 44(1) is engaged. The public authority’s handling of the request also resulted in breaches of certain procedural requirements of the Act as identified in this Notice.