Information Commissioner's Office

Carmarthenshire County Council

5 May 2015, Local government (County council)

The complainant requested information about the Bwcabus scheme run by Carmarthenshire County Council (‘the Council’). The Council provided information relating to one part of the request and refused the other parts of the request under section 12 of the FOIA as compliance would exceed the appropriate limit. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council has correctly applied section 12 to the request. However the Commissioner finds that the Council failed to provide adequate advice and assistance to the complainant under section 16 of the FOIA. The Commissioner requires the public authority to take reasonable steps to advise and assist the complainant with a view to refining the request to bring it within the cost limit. The public authority must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2015/0123 dismissed.

FOI 12: Not upheld FOI 16: Upheld