Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- Date 22 February 2022
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 17(3): Upheld
The complainant requested information from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (“the FCDO”) about correspondence between the FCDO and a number of British overseas territories. By the date of this notice the FCDO had not issued a substantive response to this request.
The Commissioner’s decision is that the FCDO 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 the FCDO to take the following step to ensure compliance with the legislation: Having confirmed that information is held within the scope of the request: either disclose the requested information or issue a refusal notice in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the FOIA.