Home Office

The complainant requested information relating to asylum and immigration data in Northern Ireland. The Home Office confirmed it held relevant information but refused to provide it citing section 12(1) (cost of compliance) of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Home Office has provided a reasonable estimate of the costs associated with complying with the request and has therefore correctly applied section 12 of the FOIA to the request. However, the Commissioner finds that the Home Office breached section 16(1) of the FOIA in that it did not provide reasonable advice and assistance to the complainant as to how her request could have been refined to bring it within the cost limit. The Commissioner requires the Home Office to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation: to take reasonable steps to advise and assist the complainant with a view to refining the request to bring it within the cost limit.