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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Information Commissioner's Office >> School of Oriental and African Studies (Education) [2021] UKICO IC-44749 (8 April 2021)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKICO/2021/ic-44749.html
Cite as: [2021] UKICO IC-44749
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School of Oriental and African Studies
The complainant has requested information about the School of Oriental and African Studies’ Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme. The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) released some information, advised that it does not hold other information and withheld the remaining information under sections 36(2)(b)(ii) and 36(2)(c) of the FOIA (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs), section 41(1) (information provided in confidence) and section 43(commercial interests). The complainant disputes that SOAS does not hold particular information and its application of the above exemptions to some of the information she has requested. The Commissioner’s decision is as follows: On the balance of probabilities, SOAS does not hold information within the scope of part 5 of the request and holds no further information within the scope of part 6. SOAS has complied with section 1(1) of the FOIA in respect of those two parts. SOAS is entitled to rely on section 36(2)(c) of the FOIA to withhold the information requested in part 2a of the request, some of the information requested in part 3 and the information requested in part 6. The balance of the public interest favours maintaining this exemption. SOAS breached section 10(1) of the FOIA in respect of part 3 of the request, and sections 10(1) and 17(1) in respect of part 6, because it did not fully comply with section 1(1) or issue a refusal notice within 20 working days of receiving these requests. The Commissioner does not require SOAS to take any remedial steps.FOI 17: Complaint partly upheld FOI 10: Complaint partly upheld FOI 36: Complaint not upheld FOI 1: Complaint not upheld
Decision notice: IC-44749