Summary: The complainant requested information regarding the amounts paid by the London Development Agency (-˜the LDA-™) for certain sites and to whom. The LDA confirmed that it held information of the description specified but initially refused to disclose it under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act (-˜the Act-™). It later retracted its reliance on section 21 instead citing section 43(2) of the Act. During the course of the investigation the Information Commissioner (-˜the Commissioner-™) found that the information is environmental information and asked the LDA to reconsider the request. The LDA maintained that the information is not environmental maintaining its reliance on section 43(2) of the Act. However, it stated that if the matter fell to be considered under the Environmental Information Regulations (-˜the EIR-™) the information would be exempt under regulation 12(5)(e). The Commissioner found that regulations 12(5)(e) is not engaged. He therefore requires the LDA to now disclose the withheld information to the complaint.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: EIR 5 - Complaint Upheld, EIR 12.5.e - Complaint Upheld, EIR 14 - Complaint Upheld