Organisations should respond to your request within 20 working days of receiving your FOI request. In Scotland, organisations should respond within 26 working days if you made your FOI request by post. Note that schools are granted more time during school holidays.
In their response, organisations may:
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provide the information you have requested
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inform you that they don’t have the information
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inform you that another organisation holds the information and/or transfer the FOI request to the other organisation on your behalf
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inform you that they have the information requested and offer to provide it for a fee (generally fees can only be charged where the cost of the FIO request exceeds the ‘cost limit’)
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refuse to provide the information (or part of the information) and explain why (eg because it is too sensitive to share with the public or because it exceeds the cost limit)
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make a reasonable charge for a request for environmental information
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ask for more time and tell you when to expect a response (generally organisations can only get an additional 20 days)
What is the cost limit?
The cost limit is the cap on the cost associated with complying with an FOI request. In other words, organisations should not spend more than the cost limit in answering an FOI request. Currently, the cost limit is:
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£600 for government departments, Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the armed forces and Scottish organisations
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£400 for all other public authorities
If the cost limit is exceeded, a request can be refused or a fee can be paid.
For more information, read the ICO’s guidance.