Information Commissioner's Office

Lambeth London Borough Council

17 March 2015, Local government (Borough council)

The complainant made a request for the number of employees of the London Borough of Lambeth (the Council) who were members of organisations “such as the Freemasons”. The Council refused the request under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) on the grounds that complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit. The Commissioner’s decision is that Council is entitled to refuse the request under section 12 of the Act. However, it has breached section 16 of the Act by not providing assistance on how the complainant could reduce the scope of his request so that it comes within the appropriate limit. The Commissioner requires the public authority to provide the complainant with reasonable assistance on how to limit the scope of his request so that it can be complied with within the appropriate limit.

FOI 12: Not upheld FOI 16: Upheld