Department for Education

The complainant has requested information relating to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care – Call for Ideas. The Department for Education (DfE)provided some information, withheld some information under section 21 FOIA as it considers it was already accessible to the applicant and confirmed that some of the requested information would not be published until Spring 2022. At internal review DfE confirmed that the information which it planned to publish in Spring 2022 was being withheld under section 22 FOIA. The Commissioner considers that DfE were correct to apply 22 FOIA in this case at the time of the request. However the Commissioner also notes that the information which was withheld under section 22 FOIA was published in May 2022. The Commissioner does however consider that DfE breached section 17(1) FOIA in the handling of this request. The Commissioner does not require MHRA to take any remedial steps.