Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested the total spent on and number of informants registered by the public authority for the five years preceding his request. The public authority refused the request, citing section 30(2) (information relating to the obtaining of information from confidential sources) and 38(1)(b) (endangerment to safety). Following the intervention of the Commissioner, the public authority amended its stance and stated that to provide the number of informants would exceed the appropriate cost limit. The Commissioner finds that the public authority concluded incorrectly that the public interest favoured the maintenance of section 30(2) and that the exemption provide by section 38(1)(b) is not engaged. The public authority is required to disclose the information showing the total spend on informants for the five years preceding the request. In relation to the request for the numbers of informants, the Commissioner concludes that the public authority estimated correctly that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate cost limit and no steps in connection with this part of the request are required.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 12 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 17 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 30 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 31 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 38 - Complaint Upheld