- Enforcement notice issued to Surrey Police over Freedom of Information backlog
- Compliance rate declined 15% in just one year
- Oldest outstanding request at over two years, when responses are typically expected within twenty working days
We have today issued an enforcement notice to Surrey Police after the force repeatedly failed to meet its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
The notice comes in response to a significant and worsening backlog in Surrey Police’s handling of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, which has resulted in a compliance rate of just 54%—far below the expected standards and a sharp decline from the 69% compliance rate in the same period last year.
As part of the FOIA, public authorities, including police forces, are required to respond to FOI requests within 20 working days. However, Surrey Police has consistently failed to meet this requirement, with the oldest request in their backlog now stretching back two years. This is a serious departure from the standards expected of public bodies, where responses should typically be provided within a month.
Despite repeated requests for action, Surrey Police has not provided any concrete plan or strategy to address the growing backlog of requests.
Phillip Angell, Head of Freedom of Information Casework, said:
“Timely responses to Freedom of Information requests are essential for maintaining transparency and trust in public bodies like police forces. The failure of Surrey Police to meet even the basic requirements of the Freedom of Information Act is entirely unacceptable.
“A worsening backlog, with requests as old as two years, shows a lack of seriousness about their obligations and a failure to prioritise transparency. This cannot continue: the public deserves better, and we have issued this enforcement notice to ensure that they get it.”
As a next step, the enforcement notice requires Surrey Police to submit an action plan within 30 days detailing how they will bring their FOI handling procedures into compliance with the FOIA. The plan must include specific measures to address the backlog and ensure that future requests are responded to within the statutory timeframe. The force could be held in contempt of court if they fail to comply with these actions.
The full enforcement notice can be read here.
Notes to editors
- The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent regulator for data protection and information rights law, upholding information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.
- The ICO has specific responsibilities set out in the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA2018), the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and a further five acts and regulations.
- The ICO can take action to address and change the behaviour of organisations and individuals that collect, use and keep personal information. This includes criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement and audit.
- To report a concern to the ICO telephone call our helpline on 0303 123 1113, or go to ico.org.uk/concerns.