ICO Upholds Complaint - Queen Mary University Failed to Respond to FOIA Request
Summary
The ICO has issued a Decision Notice finding Queen Mary University of London in breach of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for failing to respond to a FOIA request within the statutory 20 working days. The university is now required to provide a complete response to the complainant within 30 calendar days or face further enforcement action.
What changed
The ICO issued a Decision Notice on 31 March 2026 upholding a complaint against Queen Mary University of London under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The university failed to respond to a FOIA request within the statutory 20 working day timeframe, constituting a breach of its obligations under FOIA. The ICO has ordered the university to provide the complainant with a response within 30 calendar days.
Public authorities subject to FOIA should treat this decision as a reminder of their obligations to respond to information requests promptly. Failure to meet the 20 working day deadline can result in upheld complaints and enforcement action from the ICO. Authorities should ensure their request handling procedures are robust and monitored to avoid similar breaches and potential reputational damage.
What to do next
- Provide the complainant with a complete response to the FOIA request within 30 calendar days
- Review and improve internal FOIA request handling procedures to ensure timely responses
- Document the compliance action taken to address the breach
Archived snapshot
Apr 10, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Queen Mary University of London
- Date 31 March 2026
- Sector Education
- Decision(s) FOI 10: Upheld The public authority has failed to respond to this request within 20 working days, as specified under FOIA. The Commissioner requires it to provide the complainant with a response to this request within 30 calendar days in accordance with its obligations under FOIA.
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