Freedom of Information Act 2000FOIAUK · 2000 c. 36
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Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36) – Section 50 – Application for decision by Commission.

Sections

Section 50Application for decision by [F1Commission].

(1) Any person (in this section referred to as “the complainant”) may apply to the [F2Commission] for a decision whether, in any specified respect, a request for information made by the complainant to a public authority has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Part I.
(2) On receiving an application under this section, the [F3Commission] shall make a decision unless it appears to [F4the Commission]—
  • (a)
    that the complainant has not exhausted any complaints procedure which is provided by the public authority in conformity with the code of practice under section 45,
  • (b)
    that there has been undue delay in making the application,
  • (c)
    that the application is frivolous or vexatious, or
  • (d)
    that the application has been withdrawn or abandoned.
(3) Where the [F5Commission] has received an application under this section, [F6the Commission] shall either—
  • (a)
    notify the complainant that [F7it] has not made any decision under this section as a result of the application and of [F8the] grounds for not doing so, or
  • (b)
    serve notice of [F9its] decision (in this Act referred to as a “decision notice”) on the complainant and the public authority.
(4) Where the [F10Commission] decides that a public authority—
  • (a)
    has failed to communicate information, or to provide confirmation or denial, in a case where it is required to do so by section 1(1), or
  • (b)
    has failed to comply with any of the requirements of sections 11 and 17,

the decision notice must specify the steps which must be taken by the authority for complying with that requirement and the period within which they must be taken.

(5) A decision notice must contain particulars of the right of appeal conferred by section 57.
(6) Where a decision notice requires steps to be taken by the public authority within a specified period, the time specified in the notice must not expire before the end of the period within which an appeal can be brought against the notice and, if such an appeal is brought, no step which is affected by the appeal need be taken pending the determination or withdrawal of the appeal.
(7) This section has effect subject to section 53.

Amended text

This Section is shown as amended by S.I. 2026/386 (see the annotations below), as incorporated in the text in force on 7 October 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.

Annotations

Textual Amendments

  1. F1 Word in s. 50 heading substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(a); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  2. F2 Word in s. 50(1) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(b); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  3. F3 Word in s. 50(2) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(c)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  4. F4 Words in s. 50(2) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(c)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  5. F5 Word in s. 50(3) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(d)(i)(aa); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  6. F6 Words in s. 50(3) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(d)(i)(bb); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  7. F7 Word in s. 50(3)(a) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(d)(ii)(aa); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  8. F8 Word in s. 50(3)(a) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(d)(ii)(bb); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  9. F9 Word in s. 50(3)(b) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(d)(iii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  10. F10 Word in s. 50(4) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(12)(e); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

  1. C1 S. 50 applied (with modifications) (31.12.2009) by The INSPIRE Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3157), reg. 11 (as amended (30.9.2026) by S.I. 2026/386, reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(2); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c))
  2. C2 S. 50 applied (with modifications) (18.7.2015) by The Re Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1415), regs. 1, 18 (with regs. 5, 11(4)) (as amended (30.9.2026) by S.I. 2026/386, reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 17(2); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c))
  3. C3 S. 50 applied (with modifications) (18.7.2015) by The Re Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1415), regs. 1, 19 (with regs. 5, 11(4)) (as amended (30.9.2026) by S.I. 2026/386, reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 17(3); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c))

Commencement Information

  1. I1 S. 50 wholly in force at 1.1.2005; s. 50 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 87(3); s. 50 in force for certain purposes at 1.1.2005 by S.I. 2004/1909, art. 2 and otherwise in force at 1.1.2005 by S.I. 2004/3122, art. 2

https://foia.digiphile.law/article/article-50.html

Text as at 7 October 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in October 2026.

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