General Dental Council

The complainant has requested complaints data relating to a specific dental practice. The General Dental Council (‘the public authority’) relied on section 12(2) (cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit) to refuse the request. The Commissioner’s decision is that the public authority was correct to rely upon section 12(1) and complied with its section 16 obligations. The public authority breached section 1 (general right of access to information) and 10 (timescale for compliance) in failing to confirm it held information, within the statutory timescale. The Commissioner does not require further steps.