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Freedom of Information & Data Protection

Code of Practice on Access to Government Information

Monitoring Report for 2002 - Appendix 4

Departmental Charging Schemes

October 2003

The table summarises the changing schemes drawn up by departments, agencies and other public bodies mentioned in the report under the Code of Practice. The scheme only applies when the information requested requires additional work to that necessary for the fair and accountable performance of a department's functions. The schemes shown cover the period of this report.

Department/Public Body	Charging Scheme
Cabinet Office	No charge for simple requests More complicated requests - no charge up to £100 Over £100 - marginal costs on ready reckoner basis
Central Office of Information	No charge for requests that can be dealt with speedily £16 for requests taken up to 45 mins Complex requests: charge based on estimated time spent retrieving
Charity Commission	Under review
Constitutional Affairs (formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department)	First five hours free Thereafter £20 per hour
Culture, Media & Sport	Requests under £100 free Thereafter marginal cost recovery
Defence	First four hours free Thereafter £15 per hour (or part thereof)
Education & Skills	First four hours free Five to eight hours £50 Nine to thirteen hours £150 Over thirteen hours £20 for every additional hour
English Nature	No charge made except in exceptional circumstances
Environmental Agency	No charge for any reasonable request for information that has not already been made publicly available Recovery costs for requests to provide information already available. Recovery costs for an intellectual property licence
Environment, Food & Rural Affairs	Simple requests - no charge Complex requests (particularly those requiring 5 hours or more for response), marginal costs recovery on ready reckoner basis
Export Credits Guarantee Department	No charge for simple requests Complex requests: charge for marginal cost recovery on departmental reckoner basis
Food Standards Agency	As outlined in publication scheme
Foreign & Commonwealth Office	Usually free Expensive queries may be charged at cost
Forestry Commission	Requests under £100 free Requests over £100 marginal costs charges on ready reckoner basis
Health	1 hour free Thereafter £20 per hour
Health & Safety Executive	No charge for simple requests e.g. oral information Inspection of registers, or provision of leaflets free Photocopying and postage will be charged for simple requests where more than 20 pages of photocopying is involved. Flat rate of £25 per hour's work on more complex requests (£25 for the first hour's work and £45 per hour after that where a mining, nuclear or offshore inspector is required).
HM Customs & Excise	First hour free One to three hours £15 per hour or part thereof for second and third hours Over three hours divisions estimate cost of all extra work created
HM Land Registry	No charging scheme
HM Treasury	First hour free One to three hours £15 per hour or part thereof for second and third hours. Over three hours divisions estimate cost of all extra work created
Home Office	First hour free Thereafter £20 per hour A charge may also be made where incidental costs are significant
Information Commissioner	No charge is made
Inland Revenue	£15 flat rate for simple requests (covers £50 worth of work) More complex requests (above £50) marginal cost recovery on ready reckoner basis
Insolvency Service	Requests costing under £100 free Requests between £100 and £1000: £14 per hour /£101 per day for staff at Range 9 and below; and £36 per hour/£259 per day for staff at Range 10 and above. Requests over £1000 calculated on ready reckoner bases by pay-range
International Development	No charging scheme for staff time, but charge made for photocopying, postage and packing according to number of pages
The National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office)	First 5 hours free Thereafter £20 per hour
Northern Ireland Office	Charging scheme currently under review
OFGEM	OFGEM holds a public register of all licences, modifications, consents etc for gas and electricity companies. Access to and charging for copies of documents on the public register is governed by statutory instrument, SI 1990/194 Electricity (register) order and SI 1988/159 Gas (register) order. Charges are now only made for certified copies.
Office of Deputy Prime Minister / DfT	No charge if costs of supplying information is under £50 Agency and NDPB charges vary according to the complexity of the request-charging on a cost recovery basis
Office for Fair Trading	None
Office of Government Commerce	No charging scheme yet established
Office for National Statistics	Simple requests free £60 flat rate for requests taking between one hour and half a day Higher charges for more complex cases
Office of the Rail Regulator	Requests under £50 free Over £50 on cost recovery basis
Office of Telecommunications	Where a standing charge is applied for a publication, the charge will not exceed the maximum permitted by Treasury charging guidelines
OFSTED	First three hours free Thereafter £10 hourly charge for marginal costs £18 per hour decision time £35 expert assessment time
The Ordnance Survey	First hour free Thereafter £35 per hour (rates do not include archive mapping, graphic, data customised products or any other product-related research).
The Planning Inspectorate	See entry for ODPM/DFT
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority	There is no charging scheme for requests for information under the code or otherwise, with the exception of the charges for official publications. There are currently no plans to introduce a charging scheme, but this will be reviewed as the implications of FOI are detailed
Radiocommunications Agency	Requests costing under £100 free Requests between £100 and £1000: £14 per hour/£101 per day for staff at Range 9 and below; and £36 per hour/£259 per day for staff at Range 10 and above. Requests over £1000 calculated on ready reckoner basis by pay-range
The Royal Mint	See publication scheme
Scotland Office	There is no charging scheme at the moment. However the procedures in this area are being reviewed and there will be charges for requests in the future to keep procedures in line with requests under the Data Protection Act
Trade & Industry	Requests costing under £100 free Requests between £100 and £1000: £14 per hour/£101 per day for staff at Range 9 and below; and £36 per hour/£259 per day for staff at Range 10 and above. Requests over £1000 calculated on ready reckoner basis by pay-range
Treasury Solicitor's Department	First five hours free Thereafter £50 per hour
Wales Office	Fee of £10 for subject access requests (with the right to waive) Charges for publications where there is an annual report All other requests incur no fee
Work & Pensions	No charge for simple requests Complex requests: charge for marginal cost recovery on departmental ready reckoner basis