Information Commissioner's Office

Home Office

16 March 2016, Central government

The complainant requested information relating to the issuing of an allegedly false passport to a named individual. The Home Office responded to this request by asking the complainant to provide evidence of his identity, evidence that the individual named in the request is deceased, a signed version of his request and his postal address. It stated that the request would not be progressed without the provision of those materials.  The Commissioner’s decision is that the request was valid for the purposes of section 8 of the FOIA without the provision of any of the materials requested by the Home Office and that it was not permitted to refuse to comply with the request unless those materials were provided. In failing to respond to the request within 20 working days the Home Office breached section 10(1) of the FOIA. It is now required to respond to the request.   The Commissioner requires the Home Office respond to the request.

FOI 8: Upheld FOI 10: Upheld