ICO Decision Notice: Lambeth Failed FOI Request

ICO Decision Notices

Filed March 5th, 2026

Detected March 10th, 2026

Summary

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice upholding a complaint against the London Borough of Lambeth for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request within the statutory 20-day period. The ICO requires Lambeth to respond to the complainant within 30 calendar days.

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What changed

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice (IC/467880/F3X0) against the London Borough of Lambeth. The decision upholds a complaint because Lambeth failed to provide a response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request within the mandated 20 working days. This action falls under the ICO's enforcement powers related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The ICO requires the London Borough of Lambeth to provide the complainant with a response to the FOI request within 30 calendar days from the date of the decision notice. Failure to comply with this requirement could lead to further regulatory action. This serves as a reminder to public authorities of their statutory obligations under FOIA regarding timely responses to information requests.

What to do next

Ensure all Freedom of Information requests are responded to within the statutory 20 working days.
If a request is complex, ensure an acknowledgement and an estimated response time are provided within the initial 20-day period.
Review internal processes for handling FOI requests to prevent future breaches of statutory deadlines.

Source document (simplified)

London Borough of Lambeth

Date 5 March 2026
Sector Local government
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.