Information Commissioner's Office

Home Office

7 August 2014, Central government

The complainant requested a copy of the General Register Office Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths between 1983 and 2005. The Home Office refused to disclose this information, stating that as it was made available for inspection at seven sites around the country, the exemption provided by section 21 (information reasonably accessible by other means) of the FOIA was engaged. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Home Office cited section 21 correctly and so it was not obliged to comply with the complainant’s request.

FOI 21: Not upheld