Information Commissioner's Office

Normandy Parish Council

2 August 2016, Local government (Parish council)

The complainant has submitted a number of requests for information to Normandy Parish Council between 7 October 2015 and 1 November 2015. The complainant’s requests relate to audit reports, a transcript of a telephone conversation between the Parish Clerk and a person working for the Council’s auditors, a statement to be made by the Chairman of the Council and information which concerns the Council’s employment of an assistant clerk. The Commissioner’s decision is that Normandy Parish Council does not hold a transcript of the telephone conversation which the complainant seeks. She has also decided that the Council does not hold information falling within the description of the complainant’s request for information relating to the Council’s employment of an assistant clerk. The Commissioner has considered the complainant’s request for the statement which was to be made of the Council’s Chairman at its meeting of 28 October 2015. The Commissioner has decided that the Council was entitled to rely on section 22 of the FOIA in respect of this statement. However, the Council has contravened section 17 of the FOIA by failing to issue a refusal notice to the complainant specifying its reliance on section 22. The Commissioner requires the public authority to take no further actions in this matter.

FOI 1: Not upheld FOI 17: Upheld