Am I dissatisfied?
What if I am dissatisfied with the response I receive?
The FOI Act makes provision for members of the public to appeal against the response given to a request for information, or to challenge the way in which their request was handled.
In the first instance, members of the public who are dissatisfied with either the response or the handling of their request should contact the relevant public authority. All complaints should be put in writing. For the Northern Ireland Office, any complaints or comments should be addressed to:
The FOI Complaints Panel
Northern Ireland Office
11 Millbank
London
SW1P 4PN
On receipt of a complaint we will contact you to acknowledge that it has been received. Your complaint will be handled by a panel made up of senior staff unconnected with the initial request. Where this is not possible you will be informed.
We will aim to complete the review of your request within 20 working days. Where this is not possible, you will be kept informed of progress and given a likely date for a reply.
The review of your request will consist of an analysis of the initial reasons for withholding the information and a consideration of how and why the Public Interest Test was applied. If necessary, the appeals panel will seek legal advice.
If the Complaints Panel overturns the original decision, the request will be processed and the information released to you, entirely or in part. If the panel upholds the original decision you will receive a letter detailing the reasons why we are unable to provide the information requested.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you can contact the Information Commissioner.