FOI 62-25: Information in relation to the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

19 November 2025

Our Ref: FOI 62-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 16 October 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Your request was as follows—

“Under Freedom of Information legislation I would like to request the following:

Copies of all papers, reports and debriefings compiled, submitted, circulated or published by Members or NI Assembly staff relating to their attendance at Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conferences in the past five years.”

Our response

The Assembly Commission holds information in relation to your request. However, this information is reasonably accessible to you by other means, and as such is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA. Information in relation to the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) including minutes from meetings are available on the Assembly website here.

Please find below links to CPA Executive Committee meetings where CPA conferences have been mentioned.

30^th Executive Committee Meeting 25/06/2020

40^th Executive Committee Meeting 18/01/2022

41^st Executive Committee Meeting 15/02/2022

42^nd Executive Committee Meeting 19/03/2024

43^rd Executive Committee Meeting 23/04/2024

44^th Executive Committee Meeting 28/05/2024

46^th Executive Committee Meeting 17/09/2024

47^th Executive Committee Meeting 15/10/2024

48^th Executive Committee Meeting 19/11/2024

49^th Executive Committee Meeting 21/01/2025

51^st Executive Committee Meeting 19/03/2025

52^nd Executive Committee Meeting 20/05/2025

53^rd Executive Committee Meeting 16/09/2025

The Assembly Commission also holds conference reports and research packs from CPA and CWP conferences. Please find these attached at Appendix A (separate).

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission.  If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address.  If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS