Suzy
Suzy Blake
Historic Environment Records Officer
Staffordshire County Council
Development Services Department
Riverway
Stafford
ST16 3TJ
Tel: 01785 277281
Fax: 01785 211279
Email: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Sites & Monuments Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Paul Cuming
Sent: 06 October 2004 12:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FW: Freedom of Information Act
Jill,
The fee charging rules are apparently still being worked out but it seems
likely that for costs of FoI requests under £6000 you can indeed only charge
10% of the real cost (ie £600). For costs over £6000 I'm not sure but I
think you can charge full price. As regards the possibility of someone
making a FoI request for the entire SMR/HER then yes, apparently you are
right and there is little anyone can do to prevent it. What you can do,
however, is ensure that the HER is declared in your local authority's
publication scheme with the price for the full HER as the full cost of
development. This would be astronomical and would hopefully deter anyone
from actually wanting to buy it. The point is that as the HER is technically
available at this price through normal (albeit v expensive means) you should
not have to supply it in response to a FoI request. This kind of
interpretation is in flux though so check with your local FoI expert first.
I would certainly recommend that anyone with queries of this sort talk to
the Information Commissioner's Office as they are extremely helpful.
I am also writing the Informing the Future og the Past section on FoI and
DPA as we speak so any queries / info / rumours of this sort much
appreciated.
Regards,
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: COLLENS, Jill [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 06 October 2004 10:16
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Freedom of Information Act
Dear all
I have a query about the Freedom of Information Act which comes into force
on 1/1/05 and its implications for HERs. I know we discussed this a few
years ago at the SMR User Group, but here in Cheshire the authority is very
busy informing staff about the implications. Whilst the provision of data is
all part of the HER role, I am a little concerned about some of the messages
that are coming back from our service and corporate Records Management
Officers regarding charging for commercial enquiries (I'm told you can only
charge one tenth of your normal rate which makes it uneconomic to charge at
all), also if anyone requests a copy of all of the data in the HER then I am
told we have to provide it.
I anyone else getting similar messages and how will the FOIA affect the NMR?
Thanks
Jill
Dr Jill Collens
Project Leader - Historic Environment
+Environmental Planning
Cheshire County Council
Backford Hall
Backford
Chester CH1 6PZ
(01244 603204
:[log in to unmask]
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