FCDO FOI Complaint Upheld, Response Required

The ICO has issued a Decision Notice upholding a Freedom of Information complaint against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The FCDO failed to respond to the complainant's FOI request within the statutory 20 working day timeframe as required by FOIA. The Commissioner has determined that the public authority must now provide a substantive response to the FOI request within 30 calendar days of the decision notice.\n\nGovernment agencies subject to FOIA must ensure their FOI case management processes can handle requests within statutory timeframes to avoid enforcement action. Failure to respond may result in the ICO ordering disclosure and potential further enforcement measures. Public authorities should review their FOI response procedures to ensure compliance with the 20 working day statutory deadline.