Middlesbrough Council
- Date 3 September 2012
- Sector Local government
- Decision(s) FOI 40: Not upheld
The complainant has requested details of any compensation payments resulting from defamatory comments made by the Mayor of Middlesbrough about an employee of Middlesbrough Council (the Council). The Council refused to confirm or deny if it held this information and cited the exemption from the duty to confirm or deny provided by section 40(5) (personal information) of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council has applied the exemption provided by section 40(5) correctly and so it is not required to confirm or deny whether this information is held.