Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) guidance and (b) support is available to parish councils to deal with (i) vexatious and (ii) repeated freedom of information requests.

The Government recognises the substantial public interest in parish councils affairs, including those in Handforth.

The Government also recognises the difficulties that genuinely vexatious and repeated freedom of information requests can place on smaller organisations and in 2018, issued a revised Code of Practice to allow for the use of relevant provisions in the Freedom of Information Act where necessary and appropriate.