Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant made a request to the Metropolitan Police Service (-�the public authority-�) for information about the costs of royal security and protection. The public authority originally neither confirmed nor denied holding the information by virtue of the exemptions at sections 24(2) (national security), 31(3) (law enforcement) and 38(2) (health and safety). This was amended to sections 24(1), 31(1)(a), (b) and (c), and 38(1)(b) at internal review when the public authority confirmed it held relevant information. During the Commissioner-�s investigation the public authority applied the provisions of section 12(1) (cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit). The Commissioner-�s decision is that the public authority was entitled to apply the provisions of section 12(1) albeit belatedly. The public authority was therefore not obliged to comply with the request. The complaint is not upheld. The public authority-�s handling of the request also resulted in a breach of the procedural requirements of the Act as identified in this Notice.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 10 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 12 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 17 - Complaint Upheld