Police Federation of England and Wales

The complainant has requested the most recent minutes of meetings for the Police Federation of England and Wales (the PFEW) National Board and Conduct and Performance Sub-committee. The PFEW refused the request, citing sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) (Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) of FOIA as a basis for non-disclosure. The Commissioner’s decision is that the PFEW was entitled to rely on sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) to refuse the request. However, the PFEW breached section 17 of FOIA as it failed to provide an adequate refusal notice which included its Public Interest Test (PIT) and details of the qualified persons opinion. The Commissioner requires no steps to be taken as a result of this decision.