Derrick Welsh v The Information Commissioner

Facts

The appellant, Derrick Welsh, made a request to the Financial Ombudsman Service on 1 March 2025 for a copy of all of the authority's staff training and guidance material, saying that he was specifically interested in the topic of loss of rent but would locate the relevant section himself if everything were sent. His stated purpose, linked to an ongoing insurance dispute concerning loss of rent, was to understand what training and guidance staff receive, given what he saw as inconsistencies in published decisions. The authority responded on 13 March 2025, refusing to comply on the basis that the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit under section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The appellant sought an internal review the same day; the authority upheld its position on 13 May 2025, and the appellant complained to the Information Commissioner that day. During the Commissioner's investigation the authority also sought to rely on section 14 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. By a decision notice dated 17 December 2025 the Commissioner held that section 12(1) was correctly applied, that it was unnecessary to consider section 14, and that the authority had complied with its duty to provide advice and assistance under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The appellant appealed to the First-tier Tribunal.