FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Publication of decisions in note form

The Information Commissioner is obliged under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 to fully inform the parties to a complaint of her decision, reasons for decision and findings on material questions of fact underlying those reasons, referring to the material on which those findings were based. The Commissioner is also obliged by section 76(8) to publish her decisions, but may publish them in a form that is appropriate to ensure that the public is adequately informed of the grounds on which the decisions are made.

Where the issues and principles arising in a particular matter are issues and principles previously dealt with by the Commissioner in full, published decisions and the decision, therefore, involves no new principles, the parties will have been informed by letter of the Commissioner's decision, reasons, material findings and the material on which the findings are based.

Such decisions are therefore not published in full, but have appeared in note form only since 1 January 2000.