Information Commissioner's Office

Department for Education

1 March 2016, Central government

The complainant requested from the Department for Education a list of all schools in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire that applied for funding from the priority school building programme 2 (PSBP2) and for each school how much money they requested, and a short summary of why they wanted the money. The Department for Education provided the complainant with a list of the schools that were successful in securing PSBP2 funding together with a summary of what they wanted it for but withheld the details for the unsuccessful schools under sections 36(2)(b)(i) and 36(2)(c) of the FOIA. In relation to the amount of money requested, the Department for Education stated that this information was held in a recorded format. The Commissioner’s decision is that Department for Education has incorrectly applied Sections 36(2)(b)(i) and 36(2)(c) of the FOIA. The Commissioner requires the Department for Education to disclose a list of the schools that were unsuccessful in securing (PSBP2) funding together with a summary of what they wanted it for. 

FOI 36: Not upheld