Rural Payments Agency
- Date 7 October 2024
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) EIR 12.5.a: Not upheld, EIR 14.2: Upheld
The complainant has requested information from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) about named Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) claimants. The RPA initially refused to confirm or deny whether it held this information but ultimately refused to provide the information, citing Regulation 12(5)(a) of the EIR – public safety. The Commissioner’s decision is that the RPA cited Regulation 12(5)(a) correctly and that the public interest lies in withholding the requested information. However, he has decided that the RPA breached Regulation 14(2) of the EIR by failing to issue a refusal notice to the complainant within 20 working days of receipt of the request. The Commissioner does not require further steps.