Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

This Practice Recommendation is issued in relation to a consistently low level of overall performance in respect of the timeliness of BEIS’s responses to FOI requests. Following the engagement by his staff with BEIS about the underlying reasons for these failings, the Commissioner has reached the view that BEIS’s request handling practices do not conform to the Freedom of Information Code of Practice, issued under section 45 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) by the Cabinet Office in July 2018 (the Code). The Commissioner considers that BEIS’s practices do not conform with part 4 of the Code relating to time limits for responding to requests. Therefore, in accordance with section 48(1) of FOIA, the Commissioner has elected to issue the foregoing practice recommendation.