Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

The complainant requested information from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (“DCMS”) relating to meetings with the Football Association or the National League. By the date of this notice, the 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 time and has therefore breached section 17(3) of the FOIA. The Commissioner requires DCMS to either disclose the requested information or, issue a refusal notice in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the FOIA. The DCMS must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice.