PhonepayPlus subject to Environmental Information Regulations

The Information Commissioner has ruled that PhonepayPlus, the body which regulates premium rate phone-paid services in the UK on behalf of OFCOM, is a public authority for the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations because it carries out functions of public administration (regulation 2(2)(c)).

he [the Commissioner] believes that the decisive factors in this case are that it has Regulatory powers..., carries out its statutory duties and if it was not there then the government would be highly likely to task another organisation with the same powers...In addition the government provides considerable oversight and control to enable PhonepayPlus to perform regulatory functions on behalf of the government department.

Decision Notice FER0265609 is here.