How quickly should an FoI request be dealt with?

An acknowledgment of a Freedom of Information request will be issued to the requestor within a few days of receiving it. This will provide the deadline that a requestor should expect a response from DBS. 

A full response will be provided within 20 working days. This deadline applies even if the request is refused, or the information is being withheld. 

In certain cases, an extension may be applied when an exemption is being considered. A notification will be sent to the requestor explaining this within the original timeframe of 20 working days.