Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

The complainant requested information about correspondence between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and two external organisations, between February and April 2020, relating to the Covid-19 outbreak. By the date of this notice DCMS had not issued a substantive response to the request. The Commissioner’s decision is that the DCMS has failed to complete its deliberations on the balance of the public interest within a reasonable timeframe and therefore finds that the DCMS has breached section 17(3) of the FOIA. The Commissioner requires the DCMS to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. Issue a substantive response, under the FOIA, to the request. The DCMS must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the FOIA and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.