How to complain about our

refusal to meet your request

for information

What can you do if you want to complain?

1. If you are unhappy with the way we have responded to your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Data Protection Act 1998, or if you think we are not complying with our Publication Scheme, you should write to the Secretary of the Commission:

Nigel Karney

Secretary

Commission for Local Administration in England

10th Floor, Millbank Tower

Millbank

London SW1P 4QP

Fax 020 7217 4621

Email: [email address]

Your complaint will be dealt with by someone other than the person who dealt with your original request - this will usually be the Secretary or a Deputy Ombudsman. In the unlikely event that this is not possible, we will explain why to you.

How long will it take?

We will acknowledge written complaints within two working days. We will aim to provide a full response to you about your complaint within 20 working days of receiving it. If, for some special reason, we cannot reply within that time, we will let you know and explain why.

Special help

Please let us know if you have difficulty using our service, for example, if you have a disability or if English is not your first language. For instance, if you need an interpreter, we can arrange this.

What happens if we agree with your complaint?

5. If we find that we have not responded properly to your request, we will apologise and reconsider the request you made.

6. If we find we should not have withheld information you asked for, we will tell you how soon we will disclose the information to you.

What happens if we do not agree with your complaint?

7. We will confirm our previous decision and explain to you why we are not going to meet your request. If you are still not satisfied, you can apply to the Information Commissioner. Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing to:

Richard Thomas

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

WILMSLOW

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545700

Fax: 01625 545510

www.ico.gov.uk

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