KENT PROBATION © 2010

KENT PROBATION

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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

For a request to be valid under the Act, it must be:Made in writing by letter, fax or e-mail- Legible- Clearly describe the information sought- Contain the name of the applicant and a contact address (even if this is only an e-mail address)Although not compulsory, it would help us if you also provided a telephone number.You can request published information by e-mailing the scheme co-ordinator at david.mattison@kent.probation.gsi.gov.uk. You may also telephone, fax or write to:David MattisonKent Probation CommunicationsChaucer House25 Knightrider StreetMAIDSTONEKent ME15 6NDTelephone 01622 350840Fax 01622 350853Kent Probation will conact you to clarify your request upon receipt, if necessary. This will assist us to provide you with the most efficient service possible and narrow the search for the information you require.Charges and TimescalesInformation will be provided within 20 working days. Where the administrative cost of dealing with a request is less than £450, information will be provided free of charge.The standard national hourly rate for dealing with requests under the Act is £25 per hour. Therefore, a request that takes more than approximately 18 hours to process will attract a charge.The following are examples of work that may be carried out and calculated within these fees:- Work to determine whether the information is held- Locating and retrieving the information- The first full reading of the information by the relevant officer- Time taken and work carried out to extract requested information from other documents- Editing, summarising and removing any information which is exempt under the Act- Communicating information (including writing a response to the request)- Making any necessary arrangements for the appliciant to view documents, books and other materialsThe following are examples of time/costs not used to calculate FOI request charges:- Time taken to make a decision as to whether the material is exempt under the Act- Time taken in obtaining authorisation to supply information- Obtaining the consent for disclosure from another public authority or other external partner- Any Kent Probation overheadsWhere the cost of a request exceeds the £450 limit, a fees notice will be sent to the applicant. There are a range of options available to public authorities if a request exceeds the limit. They include:- Declining to answer the request- Supplying the requested information and charging the full cost. For example, if the cost of answering a request is £500, this full cost can be passed on to the applicant and not just the £50 over and above the £450 limit- Answering the request and waiving the fee- Entering into a discussion with the applicant to refine the question to a more manageable form that would fall within the £450 limit- Contacting the applicant to determine whether they would be satisfied with a partial response that would take less than 18 hours to provide- Asking the applicant if they would like a summary of the requested information- Offering the opportunity of viewing the information on siteExemptionsThe Act provides certain exemptions under which information will not be disclosed. They include:- Information that is readily available to the applicant by other means- All information about individuals (protected as personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998)- Information provided to Kent Probation in confidence- Information which, if disclosed, would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of Kent Probation (i.e. commercially sensitive information and information which, if disclosed, would inhibit the provision of advice or a free and frank exchange of views)- Other exemptions as set out in the Act and any subsequent amendmentIf requested information is deemed exempt, Kent Probation will provide an informative response to the applicant explaining why the information cannot be provide