Central Bedfordshire Council

The complainant has requested a copy of the winning tender submission for a gas maintenance and service contract. Central Bedfordshire Council (the “council”) refused the request under the commercial interests exemption. The Commissioner’s decision is that the council wrongly interpreted the scope of the request and that it failed to demonstrate that the commercial interests exemption is engaged. The Commissioner requires the public authority to provide the complainant with the requested tender submission, ensuring that any personal data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998 is removed. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2013/0018 withdrawn.