Bicester Town Council

This Practice Recommendation is issued in relation to actions taken by a representative of Bicester Town Council (the Council) during an investigation carried out by the Information Commissioner under section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In light of this event, the Commissioner has reached the view that the Council’s request handling practices do not conform to the section 45 Freedom of Information Code of Practice, issued by the Cabinet Office in July 2018 (the Code). The Commissioner considers that the Council’s practices do not conform to the following sections of the Code: Part 1 of the Code relating to right of access and part 4 of the Code relating to time limits for responding to requests. The Commissioner also finds that the Council’s actions did not meet her reasonable expectations as to how public authorities will engage with her office during section 50 FOIA investigations.