Information Commissioner's Office

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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Information Commissioner's Office >> Sunderland City Council (Local government) [2020] UKICO fs50841896 (9 January 2020)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKICO/2020B/fs50841896.html

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Sunderland City Council

The complainant requested information about care placements for looked-after children. Specifically, she asked to know about the number of instances where other local authorities had placed children in care in Sunderland City Council’s (SC) area, and the number of instances where SC had placed children in care in other local authority areas. SC disclosed some information, but where the placement number was five or less, it refused to disclose the information, citing the exemption at section 40(2) (personal information) of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that SC was entitled to rely on section 40(2) of the FOIA to withhold some of the requested information. However, it was not entitled to rely on section 40(2) of the FOIA to withhold the names of the local authorities that had placed children in care in SC’s area. The Commissioner requires SC to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. Disclose the names of the local authorities that placed children in care in SC’s area during 2017/18. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2020/0060 under appeal.

FOI 40: Complaint partly upheld

Decision notice: fs50841896