Fees
The following guidance explains how the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will charge fees in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
The Act makes provision for the charging of fees and expenses related to Freedom of Information requests and refers to what is called the 'appropriate limit'. This limit is determined by the Secretary of State. For the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ sector, the appropriate limit is set at GBP 450. When estimating the cost of complying with a written request for information the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will take into account the staff time, charged at a rate of GBP 25 per hour, involved in the following activities:
- Determining whether the information is held.
- Locating the information or a document which may contain the information.
- Retrieving the information, or a document that may contain the information.
- Extracting the relevant information from a document containing it.
Costs estimated to be below the appropriate limit
Where the cost of complying with a written request for information is estimated to be below GBP 450, the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will only charge for the expenses involved in reproducing the information, postage and other forms of transmitting the information. We do not and cannot take account of staff time involved in requests which fall under the appropriate limit.
Costs estimated to be above the appropriate limit
Where the cost of complying with a written request for information is estimated to be above GBP 450, the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ is not obliged to respond to a written request for information. In such cases the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will contact you to discuss whether you would prefer to modify the request to reduce the cost. The 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will generally not provide information in response to a request when this will cost more than GBP 450. If, exceptionally, we do decide to comply with such a request we will charge you for both fees and expenses which includes the cost of staff time in retrieving and collating the information, charged at GBP 25 per hour, as well as the costs of informing you whether the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ holds the information and the costs of replicating and communicating the information to you. This may be liable to VAT at the normal rates. You will be issued with a fees notice which you must pay within a period of three months before the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will comply with your request.
Multiple requests
If the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ receives two or more related requests within a period of 60 consecutive working days either from a single individual or from two or more individuals who appear to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign, the costs of complying with the requests will be aggregated. If the estimated costs of complying with the requests are added together and the total is found to be in excess of GBP 450, the 5XÉçÇøÊÓƵ will not be obliged to comply with any of the requests.
Personal and environmental information
Where a request for information is a mixed request (i.e. it contains a request for personal information and/or environmental information as well as general information) the request will be separated out into its constituent parts. The charge for providing personal information to the subject of that information under the terms of the Data Protection Act will be GBP 10. Charges for environmental information will be made under the terms of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.