Freedom of Information Act 1991

After considering an application for access to a document, an agency must determine—

whether access to the document is to be given (either immediately or subject to deferral) or refused; and

if access to the document is to be given—any charge payable in respect of the giving of access; and

any charge payable for dealing with the application.

If—

—

the principal officer of an agency has, under section 14A, extended the period within which an application must be dealt with by the agency; and

the agency fails to determine the application within the period as so extended; or

in any other case—an agency fails to determine an application within

However, nothing prevents an agency from making a determination to give access to a document on an application after the period within which it was required to deal with the application (and any such determination is to be taken to have been made under this Act).

This section does not require an agency to determine an application if the agency has, in accordance with this Act, transferred the application to another agency or refused to deal with, or to continue to deal with, the application.