Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested information about an internal review of security surrounding the use of photographic evidence to verify the identity of people taking the Life in the UK Test. The public authority refused this request, citing the exemption provided by section 31(1)(e) (prejudice to the operation of the immigration controls). The Commissioner concludes that the likelihood of prejudice to the operation of the immigration controls resulting through disclosure of the information in question is not sufficiently high for the exemption to be engaged and that the public authority breached sections 1(1)(b) and 10(1) in failing to disclose the information requested within 20 working days of receipt of the request. The Commissioner also finds that the public authority failed to comply with section 17(1)(c) in that it did not provide to the complainant an adequate explanation as to why the exemption was believed to be engaged. The public authority is required to disclose to the complainant the information in question.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 1 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 17 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 31 - Complaint Upheld