Northern Ireland Housing Executive

The complainant requested information about hotel and B&B accommodation funded by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). NIHE provided some of the requested information but refused the remainder in reliance on the exemptions at sections 38 (health and safety), 40 (personal data) and 43 (commercial interests). NIHE subsequently relied on the appropriate limit at section 12 to refuse the request. The complainant did not dispute NIHE’s reliance on section 12. The Commissioner’s decision is that NIHE contravened section 1(1)(b) and section 10 of FOIA in that it disclosed some of the requested information outside the statutory time for compliance. It also contravened section 17 of FOIA in that it issued the refusal notice citing section 12 outside the statutory time limit. No steps are required.