Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The complainant requested from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (“the DLUHC”) information relating to the proposed Learning Centre at the Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens. The DLUHC withheld the requested information under section 35(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy), and parts of it under section 40(2) (personal data) of FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the DLUHC is entitled to withhold the requested information under section 35(1)(a). However the DLUHC breached section 17 by failing to issue a refusal notice within the statutory time. The Commissioner does not require the DLUHC to take any steps.