FOI Request - Review of 101003859635 Internal Audit Report on St Giles Centre

Request 101003874456

Review of 101003859635 Internal Audit Report on St Giles Centre

I am writing to request an internal review of the decision to withhold the Internal Audit report relating to the St Giles Centre.

I do not believe Section 30 has been applied fairly, particularly given the strong public interest in understanding how the issue of the St Giles Centre’s unpaid business rates was handled.

The argument that withholding is necessary to protect “free and frank discussions” should not override the public’s right to know how decisions were made which resulted in the failure to collect these business rates.

The claim that disclosure “may impact recovery of debts” is speculative and not supported by any evidence within the refusal notice.

This is especially relevant given that St Giles Shopping Centre Holdings collapsed with debts of more than £5 million, and the liquidators, Interpath, have already confirmed that, due to the lack of assets, it is “highly unlikely” that any money will be recovered for the bank or other creditors.

Avoiding public scrutiny is not a legitimate justification for withholding the report. Transparency would support due diligence in future debt recovery and financial oversight.

There is therefore a clear and compelling public interest in disclosure. Section 30 is a qualified exemption and should not be used to shield failures from scrutiny.

If any part of the report is genuinely sensitive, partial disclosure or redaction should be considered rather than withholding the document in full.

I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe.