Subject: Internal Review Request – FOI ref: 9715501

Dear Information Governance Team,

I am requesting an internal review of Durham County Council’s handling of my Freedom of Information request dated 8 February 2026 (ref: 9715501).

1) Failure to comply with statutory timeframe  
The statutory deadline for response under section 10 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 was 6 March 2026. That deadline has passed without a substantive response.

2) Inadequate handling and delay  
The only update provided, on 18 March 2026, states that the service area is “still working on” the request. No explanation has been given for the delay, no extension has been formally applied, and no partial disclosure has been provided.

3) Nature of the requested information  
The request relates to retention schedules and disposal procedures for education records. These are standard information governance documents which should be readily identifiable and accessible. The continued delay suggests a failure in internal coordination or records management rather than any genuine complexity.

4) Comparative handling  
This request was submitted as part of a batch to multiple local authorities. All other authorities have provided substantive responses within the statutory timeframe. Durham County Council is the only authority to have failed to do so.

Remedy sought

I request that the internal review:

a) Determines why the request was not responded to within the statutory timeframe  
b) Identifies any failures in the Council’s FOI handling processes  
c) Ensures that a full response to the request is issued without further delay  

If a substantive response is not provided promptly following this review, I will refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office under section 50 of the Act.

Yours faithfully,  
Jamie Halliday