16 March 2015, Local government (City council)
The complainant requested the names of two parties connected to the reporting of an alleged burial of industrial waste. Plymouth City Council (the ‘Council’) initially confirmed that it held the requested information but advised that it was exempt by virtue of section 40(2) (personal information) of the FOIA. During the Commissioner’s investigation it subsequently advised that it had not recorded the names so the information was not held. The Commissioner’s decision is that, on the balance of probabilities, the Council does not hold the information; he does however find a breach of section 16. No steps are required.
FOI 1: Not upheld