Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant is known to have made over 750 requests for information to various public bodies during the previous year. Upon receipt of this particular request, the Cabinet Office notified the complainant that it was considered that an unreasonable burden was being placed on the public authority. In line with Freedom of Information Act 2000 Awareness Guidance No 22: Vexatious and Repeated Requests, the Commissioner considered whether the public authority had demonstrated that the requests would impose a significant burden, have effect of harassing the public authority, or could otherwise be characterised as obsessive or manifestly unreasonable. In addition the Commissioner considered the number of the requests and the manner in which the section 14 exemption had been applied by the Cabinet Office. The Commissioner concluded that there was a demonstrable pattern, and so judged that the Cabinet Office had applied the exemption correctly.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 14 - Complaint Not upheld