Information Commissioner's Office

Hertfordshire County Council

22 February 2007, Local government (County council)

The complainant asked for information relating to a correction that was made in The Fire and Rescue Community Safety Plan Topic Group Report. Initially the complainant asked for evidence of the correction being made by the Executive Member and, following a letter of clarification from the Council, the complainant submitted a further request for evidence of both the Chief Fire Officer and the Executive Member having made the correction. The Commissioner investigated and found that Council had not met the duty to confirm or deny whether it holds information under section 1 of the Act in relation to either request. He asked the Council to review its response to both requests and it subsequently confirmed that it holds no records of the Executive Member making the correction but the Chief Fire Officer had sent an email about the correction which had not been retained. Following the Commissioner’s request that the Council explain what checks had been made, the Council located a copy of the email and supplied it to the complainant.

FOI 1: Upheld