b'The case of County of Poole v Information Commissioner [2016] EA/2016/0074 is another case which demonstrates the use of these powers to access charging information, although the request in this instance was for information about the charges made by a local authority for services provided to schools. It examined the balancing act to be undertaken between the public interest in accessing such information and the prejudice that it would cause businesses to disclose the information requested.The case concerned an appeal by the local authority against a decision notice of the Information Commissioner requiring the local authority to disclose to the requestor the names of all schools that were supplied with payroll and pensions services by the council, broken down into the service provided to those schools and the charges made by the council for those services at each school. The council disclosed a list of schools, but did not provide details of the charges made at each school or the services that were provided. It argued that to do so would be prejudicial to the councils commercial interests. The requestor complained to the Information Commissioner who issued a decision notice ordering the disclosure of the information on the basis that it would be in the public interest to do so. The local authority appealed to the First-tier Tribunal against the decision notice on the grounds that the Information Commissioner had failed to have sufficient regard to, or place sufficient weight on, the commercially sensitive nature of the information. The Tribunal upheld the local authoritys appeal on the basis that they were entitled to rely upon the fact that disclosure of the information (except for certain information) would be commercially sensitive.The Tribunal noted how, in most earlier cases, the public authorities were the commissioners of services. The difference in this case was that the council was acting in the competitive market for the provision of services to others for the purpose of maximising income to the council. The main factor in this appeal was said to be the urgent need to maintain income to the council in the highly pressurised financial circumstances that currently face local government.The Tribunal said the local authoritys competitors could use the withheld information to gain an advantage and undercut them in tenders and this would therefore make it more difficult for the local authority to secure contracts. The Tribunal said that the Information Commissioner had not been aware that most of the local authoritys competitors were from the private sector and not from other local authorities. 17.8 Local authorities have duties under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to licence hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Section 53(2) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 enables local authorities to charge for a licence in respect of private hire vehicles and section 70 enables fees to be charged for vehicle and operators licences. Section 35 of the Transport Act 1981 enables authorities to charge for the licensing of hackney carriages and their drivers. Persons undertaking acupuncture, ear-piercing, body piercing, electrolysis and tattooing are required to be registered. There is no requirement to renew a registration. Part VIII of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 allows local authorities to charge such reasonable fees as they may determine for registration. 171'