Migrant workers: Penwith misses FOIA deadline

Penwith District Council has failed to respond within the statutory 20-working day limit to my Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information about the eviction of Polish migrant workers from premises in Penzance earlier this year. The deadline for a reply was last Tuesday, April 1.

The Council has now been considering my request for five weeks. No explanation has been offered by the Council for the delay.

As this is a request for information about a very recent matter, one would expect all relevant documents to be readily available.

I have told Clare James, Penwith's Information Management and Licensing Officer, of my concern at the Council's failure to carry out its statutory duty and asked to see the Council's complaints handling policy.

The evictions and the manner in which they were carried out is of concern to individuals and to the community. It is in the public interest that there should be full and transparent disclosure of all the facts.

I expect to soon lodge another FOIA request to the Council for information about at least one other case involving the eviction of migrant workers from premises in Penzance.