Charges for Requests

Section 12 of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act provides that public authorities are not obliged to answer requests for information if the cost of doing so exceeds an "appropriate limit". The appropriate limit for the MOD (including the Armed Forces and the MOD Police) is £600, but the following public authorities associated with the MOD have an appropriate limit of £450:

• The Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors
• The Advisory Group on Medical Countermeasures
• The Animal Welfare Advisory Committee
• The Armed Forces Pay Review Body
• The Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions
• The Dartmoor Steering Group and Working Party
• The Defence Nuclear Safety Committee
• The Defence Scientific Advisory Council
• The Independent Board of Visitors Military Corrective Training Centre
• National Army Museum
• The National Employer Advisory Board
• The Nuclear Research Advisory Council
• The Oil and Pipelines Agency
• The Review Board for Government Contracts
• Royal Air Force Museum
• Royal Hospital Chelsea
• The War Pensions Committee

The cost of compliance will be calculated in accordance with The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. We will assist you to reduce or refine your request to bring the cost of compliance within the appropriate limit.

In general, we will not answer requests that would exceed the appropriate limit. If, exceptionally, we decide to do so, we will contact you and confirm that you are willing to pay a fee (calculated in accordance with the Regulations).

Some of the information produced by MOD, including postage and photocopying costs is only available on payment of a charge. This may be because it is identified as such in our Publication Scheme, or it has a commercial value and is exempt. In some cases it may be possible to make such exempt information available at a charge that reflects the commercial market value.

The full MOD processes can be found at this link

Charges for Publciation Scheme Items
Where charges may be applicable to a Class of Information this is stated. However, the following conditions may also apply:

Information on the Internet

• Information is free of charge on the website (i.e. there is no charge by us), but the user will have to meet any charges by their Internet Service Provider, personal printing costs, etc.).
• Information is available via a website, but a charge may have to be paid before the main part of the information can be accessed. This could arise if the website is used to deliver a value-added customised service, particularly where the basic data is also available to private sector users who may provide their own value-added service. Where this applies, the reason for the charge and the level of charges will be stated.

• For those without Internet access, a single print-out from the website page(s) will be available by post by contacting the address given in Part 3. However, requests for multiple print-outs or for archived copies of documents which are no longer available on the web, may attract a charge for the cost of retrieval, photocopying, postage etc. You will be informed of this at the time of your request. The charge will be payable in advance.
• Information is free of charge to view in hard copy, (the address of the building will be given where this is applicable) but a charge may be made for photocopies. If a charge is applicable it will be specified at the time of the request and will be payable in advance of the information being provided.
• "Glossy" or other bound paper copies, or in some cases a CD-ROM, video or other media may involve a charge: this is indicated in the Scheme.