Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested information on the investments made by the Council in its role as the administrator of the West Midlands Pension Fund. The Council refused to supply some of the information on the basis that it was subject to a confidentiality agreement between it and various investment organisations (section 41), and that a disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of some of the parties involved, (section 43). The Commissioner's decision is that the information should be disclosed on the basis that the public interest in knowing that public funds are being invested wisely overrides the public interest in protecting confidentiality in this instance. The Commissioner also believes that a disclosure would not prejudice the commercial interests of any party. This case was under appeal to the Information Tribunal and has since been withdrawn.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 41 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 43 - Complaint Upheld