Freedom of Information Act

Our charges for providing information under the Freedom of Information Act

Information that we publish routineley as part of our publication scheme and which is available for download from our website, is  normally available free of charge. However if you require information (that we publish on our web site or that you request through a Freedom of Information request) in hard copy form you may be subject to a charge to cover disbursement costs.

When do we charge?     

Unless specified otherwise  we will normally charge for stationery, printing and postage costs if they are more than £25.  We don't usually charge if they are less than this.  However, if you make more than one request in a 12 month period and the cumulative cost of providing the information is more than £25, we will charge you for these costs in that period. 

If our stationery, printing and postage costs are more than £25, we will charge if: 

• the information is not available in electronic format;
• the information is available in electronic format, but you want us to send you a paper copy

Information available on our website, that will soon be available, or is reasonably accessible by other means, is exempt from disclosure under FOI.  However, if you require a paper copy and are unable to obtain it by other means, we may provide this.  A minimum charge of £25 may apply.  We will tell you first what the cost will be. 

We will normally provide information in response to a FOI request by e-mail, which is of course free of charge. 

How much do we charge?

We charge 5 pence per page, plus standard second class postage rates (if the costs of providing the information are more than £25 in a 12 month period).

When do I need to pay?

You need to pay before we send you the information requested.  We will tell you how much you need to pay, how to pay, and when we need to receive your payment by.  We will hold your request as pending until we receive your payment.  We will wait up to three months to receive your payment.  If we don't receive your payment by the due date, we will close your request.  If you still require the information, you will need to make another FOI request. 

The appropriate limit (the cost limit)

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides an exemption, known as the 'appropriate limit', if the cost of providing the information exceeds £450 (not including stationery, printing or postage).  This limit is based on 18 hours' officer time at a rate of £25 per hour. We will not provide the information requested if this exemption applies.  However, we will tell you what information could be provided within the cost limit.