University of Hull

The complainant has requested information about academic staff declaring as White at the University of Hull (‘the University’). The University disclosed some information and has relied on section 40(2) of FOIA to withhold the remaining information. This exemption concerns personal data.The Commissioner’s decision is as follows: The University hasn’t fully addressed the complainant’s request for information about White academics in the University as a whole and so hasn’t complied with section 1(1) and section 10(1) of FOIA.The requested information about White academics in two specific Schools and a specific Faculty to which the University has applied section 40(2) of FOIA is special category personal data and the University is correct to withhold it.The University must take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation: provide a response that complies with FOIA to the request for the fellowship status and qualifications of White Lecturers across the University for March 2024; and provide a response that complies with FOIA to the request for the fellowship status and qualifications of White Professors, Readers, Senior Lecturers and Lecturers across the University for March 2022 and March 2020.