Specific information request information
NNDR (National Non Domestic Rates) Freedom of information requests
Our business liability data is updated every six months and is available online.
Business liability data (Excel)
Personal Information
Requests for personal information e.g. name of ratepayer, may be redacted or refused as they are exempted under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Empty Properties
Request for information about empty properties will be refused as they are exempted under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Properties that are vacant are vulnerable to crime and break ins.
Empty properties also would allow an intruder to remain in the property without being disturbed, as well use of the property for illegal or anti-social activities and so increases the risk of crime in or around empty.
Credits
Request for information about empty properties will be refused as they are exempted under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Properties that hold a credit on their account are open to fraudulent claims for this refund.
Therefore to reduce the possibility of fraud, details are not passed out of credits.
Freedom of information requests concerning IT security issues, attacks, ransom and malware and related topics
London Borough of Newham (LBN) has a robust IT security system. We do not disclose specific IT security information or confirm the existence of cyber-attacks to prevent potential exploitation by criminals. We use exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to withhold such information.
LBN’s IT Security System is robust, and we regularly update our tools and products to ensure the safety and security of our data and systems. We aim to be transparent, but we avoid disclosing too much information that could be exploited by criminals to gain unlawful access to our systems and sensitive data.
We do not release information about our IT security systems, suppliers, or update schedules. This information is withheld under section 31 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to prevent crime.
We have conducted a public interest test and concluded that the public interest lies in upholding the exemption to prevent crime and protect data integrity and that this outweighs the benefits of transparency.
We will 'neither confirm nor deny' any information regarding cyber-attacks to prevent revealing potential vulnerabilities, as allowed under section 31(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We believe that confirming or denying the existence of cyber-attack information would provide criminals with insights into our cyber security systems and processes, thereby increasing the risk of attacks.
Please see our full exemption notice and public interest test relating to the engagement of S31 for requests concerning IT Security, attacks, ransom, malware and related topics.
IT Security Exemption Notice (PDF)
Freedom of Information relating to Newham Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP)
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) provides the public with a right to access information held by public bodies, including local authorities, the police, the NHS, and state schools.
Newham Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) is a statutory body set up under the Children Act 2004. However, NSCP is not categorised as a public authority under the FOI Act. Therefore, it is not required to comply with FOI requests for information.
Relevant Sections of the FOI Act:
According to Section 3 of the FOI Act:
(2) Information is considered to be held by a public authority if:
· (a) it is held by the authority itself, and not on behalf of another person, or
· (b) it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.
FOI requests should be directed to the relevant partner agencies of the NSCP, which are public authorities and may possess the requested information for their purposes. In such cases, the information is subject to the FOI Act.
Documents such as minutes, reports, and other records held by these agencies on behalf of NSCP are considered to be held on behalf of NSCP and therefore, not subject to FOI requests.
Accessing Information from Partner Agencies
If you need to access information that may be held by NSCP partner agencies, such as local councils, NHS bodies, or law enforcement agencies, you can make an FOI request to them directly. These agencies are required to provide information that they hold for their own purposes under the FOI Act.
For More Information
To learn more about making an FOI request or to understand your rights under the FOI Act, please visit the How to access information from a public authority | ICO
