Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

The complainant has requested information about the referral of complaints to PHSO by MPs. PHSO disclosed information it considered to be within scope of the request. The complainant is dissatisfied with the length of time it took PHSO to respond to their request and considers that the information provided to them was misleading. The Commissioner’s decision is as follows: PHSO breached section 10(1) of FOIA as it did not provide a response to the complainant’s request within the required timescale. PHSO’s interpretation of the request was reasonable and it complied with its obligations according to section 16(1) of FOIA, which concerns advice and assistance. The Commissioner does not require PHSO to take any corrective steps.