Cambridgeshire County Council FOIA Section 30(1) Investigation Exemption Not Upheld

The ICO issued a Decision Notice finding that Cambridgeshire County Council correctly applied the section 30(1) FOIA exemption to withhold information about a Trading Standards investigation. The Commissioner determined that section 30(1)(b) was properly engaged and that, on balance, the public interest favoured maintaining the exemption. The complaint was not upheld and no enforcement steps were required.

For public authorities handling FOI requests involving ongoing or concluded investigations, this decision confirms that section 30(1) can be relied upon where investigation records are sought. Bodies should ensure that any refusal under this exemption is supported by a clear public-interest balancing exercise specific to the information in question, as the ICO will assess whether the balancing was properly conducted on a case-by-case basis.