Internal Review Process

If you are not satisfied with our response, you are entitled to an internal review. We aim to handle all internal reviews within 20 working days from the date that the internal review is received.

 

If you require an internal review, please either email or write to us at the address below.  If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office, who regulates the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)

 

 

You have the right to complain to us if your request for information is denied or partially denied or if you are otherwise unhappy with the British Council’s response to a request for information made under FOIA.

 

You also have the right to complain to the ICO but, before doing so, you must exhaust the British Council’s internal review process.

 

If you ask us for an internal review of our decision, we will acknowledge your appeal, which will be treated as a formal complaint and will be subject to the internal review procedure.

 

A number of outcomes in relation to the internal review are possible, including:

 

 

The final decision will be made by the British Council’s Internal Reviewer or another senior member of staff who was not involved in making the original decision.

 

If the original decision is reversed, you will be informed and either sent the information requested or notified of the date by which you may expect to receive the information.

 

If the outcome of the review is that the original decision is upheld or to release more of the information requested, but not all of it, you will be notified in writing and we will explain why, referring to the relevant exemption(s), and advising you of your right to appeal to the ICO.

 

If you wish to exercise your right to an internal review you should contact us within two months of the date of our original ‘FOIA’ decision letter. The ICO has published guidance saying that internal reviews should take no longer than 20 working days, depending upon the complexity of the case. If it is not possible for us to reach a decision within 20 working days we will write to you again to advise you of this and inform you of an anticipated timescale for our response. There is no statutory deadline for undertaking internal reviews.