Most Freedom of Information searches to be free

The majority of requests allowed by the forthcoming Freedom of Information Act will be free even if finding the information costs up to £450, the government claimed yesterday.

According to Constitutional Affairs Secretary Lord Falconer, information which costs public bodies less than £450 to retrieve and collate will be offered free of charge.

Government departments will only be able to charge where costs rise above £600, which equates to about three and a half days' work.

"This government introduced the legislation to change the culture of official information, and we believe it should be free," said Lord Falconer. "A fees structure which is simple to understand and easy to operate follows the spirit of the legislation."

From 1 January people will have a right to information about the way decisions are made, and public money is spent, by more than 100,000 public authorities, including government departments, schools, NHS trusts, police forces and local authorities.

Anyone, of any nationality, and living anywhere in the world, will be able to make a written request for information, and expect a response within 20 working days.

Material which could be released in response to requests covers all recorded information and includes paper files, computer files, internal emails, audio and video recordings, brochures and photographs.

"We do not want cost to deter people from asking about the policy discussions which influence their children's education, the way hospitals treat and care for their parents or the way police patrol their neighbourhoods," Lord Falconer added.

"We have always maintained that the majority of costs arising from this legislation should be met by the public purse.

"But authorities will have the option either to charge the full cost of the more complicated and time-consuming requests which take longer to research and edit, or to not carry them out on cost grounds."