Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

The complainant requested information from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (“DCMS”) relating to a meeting held between Oliver Dowden and Lord Brownlow in January 2021. By the date of this notice DCMS had failed to provide a substantive response to this request. The Commissioner’s decision is that 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 the DCMS to respond to the complainant’s response in accordance with the FOIA. The DCMS must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice.