The Cost of FOI Requests
The cost of "Freedom of Information" to local people.
Over the past two years, we have ensured that Staffordshire County Council is as open and transparent as possible in serving the county's population. Part of that is the way we deal with Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, however, each FOI request incurs a cost.
Often the FOI process is used by some commercial organisations to save time and research costs. We think this is a wrongful use as the information requested is already freely available publicly. The same applies to a growing number of FOI requests from the media. This can save companies and the press money by, for example, reducing research costs but only at a significant cost to the Authority which is unfair to Staffordshire tax payers.
Whilst FOI legislation makes it difficult to avoid these requests, we believe it is right to publish more information on the cost to council tax payers. We are also more transparent in illustrating, in an appropriate way, where FOI requests are coming from and the associated cost to Staffordshire council tax payers.
The questions and responses are available on the What Have People Asked Us?| page. The figures below are from January 2012 to date.
Breakdown by groups (cost)
Below is a breakdown of the cost of FOI requests by the following groups (all figures are £ sterling):
|
Groups
|
Cost
|
|
Undisclosed
|
18800
|
|
Press and Commercial
|
22050
|
|
Pressure Group and Political Party
|
14550
|
|
Public
|
12900
|
Top Ten Requestors (cost)
Below is a breakdown of the top ten requestors (by cost) excluding requests made by the public:
|
What do they know
|
8950
|
|
Express & Star
|
1950
|
|
BBC
|
1400
|
|
Tax Payers Alliance
|
900
|
|
Rolleston on Dove Parish Council
|
750
|
|
The Sentinel
|
600
|
|
Daily Mail
|
600
|
|
Data News
|
550
|
|
The Times
|
450
|
|
Liz Kendall MP
|
400
|
|
The Guardian
|
400
|
Breakdown by category
|
Undisclosed
|
18800
|
|
Public
|
12900
|
PRESS
|
Express & Star
|
1950
|
|
Radio 5 Live
|
150
|
|
BBC
|
1400
|
|
Bureau of Investigative Journalism
|
150
|
|
Daily Mail
|
600
|
|
Channel 4 News
|
150
|
|
Data News
|
550
|
|
Inside Housing
|
150
|
|
The Times
|
450
|
|
Yorkshire Post
|
50
|
|
The Guardian
|
400
|
|
Times Online
|
50
|
|
The Telegraph
|
350
|
|
Stoke Alerts
|
50
|
|
The Independent
|
300
|
|
TBIJ.com
|
50
|
|
Openworld News
|
300
|
|
Asbestos Exposure Schools
|
50
|
|
Mail on Sunday
|
300
|
|
Press Association
|
50
|
|
Data is a Story
|
250
|
|
The Sun
|
50
|
|
BBC Radio Stoke
|
250
|
|
|
|
|
Travel News
|
250
|
|
|
|
|
BSkyB
|
200
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday Express
|
200
|
|
|
|
|
ITV
|
200
|
|
|
|
COMMERCIAL
|
Coop
|
350
|
|
V&A Museum
|
100
|
|
Magnatecled
|
50
|
|
RBI
|
300
|
|
Visology
|
100
|
|
Maitland
|
50
|
|
Fostering Solutions
|
300
|
|
Wise Owls
|
100
|
|
Mark Allen Group
|
50
|
|
Credio Analytics
|
250
|
|
York.ac.uk
|
100
|
|
May Gurney Ltd
|
50
|
|
Hoopers
|
250
|
|
RBI
|
100
|
|
MCP Generation
|
50
|
|
L A International
|
250
|
|
A Collis Comms
|
50
|
|
Midland HR
|
50
|
|
Solus Coaches
|
250
|
|
Agency Brazil
|
50
|
|
Moorlands College
|
50
|
|
Wadsworth Coaches
|
250
|
|
Allot
|
50
|
|
Northumbria University
|
50
|
|
Wingspan Consultancy
|
250
|
|
Anglia Research
|
50
|
|
NOWEducation.co.uk
|
50
|
|
Xedite.com
|
250
|
|
as.env.research
|
50
|
|
Number 10 Interim
|
50
|
|
Acegroup.com
|
250
|
|
ATL
|
50
|
|
Panther Fireworks
|
50
|
|
Good Governance
|
200
|
|
Blakeway TV
|
50
|
|
Panztel.com
|
50
|
|
BT
|
150
|
|
BlueSpotProperty.co.uk
|
50
|
|
PDS UK
|
50
|
|
Cumbria Council
|
150
|
|
Brabner SCS
|
50
|
|
Protocol Education
|
50
|
|
DGMI
|
150
|
|
Brighton House Associates
|
50
|
|
Purico
|
50
|
|
Emap
|
150
|
|
Building Services
|
50
|
|
4 Children
|
50
|
|
F. Nicholson
|
150
|
|
Cairneagle
|
50
|
|
Rhetorik Solutions
|
50
|
|
Haymarket
|
150
|
|
Catherine Bergen
|
50
|
|
Ricochet
|
50
|
|
Kable
|
150
|
|
Centrix
|
50
|
|
Riverside Villa
|
50
|
|
Keele University
|
150
|
|
Coachwise
|
50
|
|
RNIB
|
50
|
|
MTA Solicitors
|
150
|
|
Compact Voice
|
50
|
|
Roma UK
|
50
|
|
NAVCA
|
150
|
|
CouncilTaxAdvisers.co.uk
|
50
|
|
RPS Group
|
50
|
|
Public Law Project
|
150
|
|
Denise Shaw (author)
|
50
|
|
Sanctuary Personnel
|
50
|
|
The Sauer Consultancy Ltd
|
150
|
|
DR Cleansing
|
50
|
|
Sanctuary Social Care
|
50
|
|
Third City
|
150
|
|
E-Computer Solutions
|
50
|
|
Sarah Harris
|
50
|
|
Touchdown PR
|
150
|
|
Elstrad Maintenance
|
50
|
|
Serviz
|
50
|
|
Ampere.gdp.com
|
100
|
|
European Care
|
50
|
|
Small Fleet Energy
|
50
|
|
August Equity
|
100
|
|
Fair Play for Children
|
50
|
|
Stay Ahead
|
50
|
|
Condeco Software
|
100
|
|
Fun for Kidz
|
50
|
|
STL Group
|
50
|
|
Cordis Bright
|
100
|
|
Glendale Services
|
50
|
|
TBIJ.com
|
50
|
|
DTZ
|
100
|
|
GoodMannash.co.uk
|
50
|
|
The Landscape Group
|
50
|
|
DWP Independent Living
|
100
|
|
Grayling
|
50
|
|
The New Medical Group
|
50
|
|
Epiphany Solutions
|
100
|
|
GroundWise.com
|
50
|
|
Think Big Comms Ltd
|
50
|
|
Gera Noto
|
100
|
|
GVA
|
50
|
|
Third City
|
50
|
|
HealthCarePC.co.uk
|
100
|
|
Helping Hands
|
50
|
|
Trade Mark Group
|
50
|
|
HGL UK
|
100
|
|
Home Care Support
|
50
|
|
TSP Media
|
50
|
|
Kinfinders
|
100
|
|
ies.uk.org.uk
|
50
|
|
UCLAN
|
50
|
|
Lost Kin
|
100
|
|
Island Man
|
50
|
|
Virtual College
|
50
|
|
Medical Management Services
|
100
|
|
Jamie Murray
|
50
|
|
Westwood First School
|
50
|
|
OTB-Marketing.com
|
100
|
|
Kingford
|
50
|
|
Wriglesworth.com
|
50
|
|
Strathcylde University
|
100
|
|
Kone
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
Sustainable Links
|
100
|
|
LA Legal
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
Talk-Straight.com
|
100
|
|
Law Step
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
Third City
|
100
|
|
Leon Gibson
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PRESSURE GROUPS
|
What Do They Know?
|
8950
|
|
Tax Payers Alliance
|
900
|
|
Big Brother Watch
|
350
|
|
Public Law Project
|
150
|
|
Beaconstreet ARA
|
150
|
|
Irish Traveller
|
150
|
|
MENCAP
|
100
|
|
Compassion in Care
|
50
|
|
Living Streets
|
50
|
|
Grandparents Association
|
50
|
|
UW Club
|
50
|
|
FP Children
|
50
|
|
Move Your Money
|
50
|
POLITICAL GROUPS
|
Rolleston on Dove Parish Council
|
750
|
|
Howard League
|
50
|
|
Liz Kendall MP
|
500
|
|
Imran Ahmed
|
50
|
|
House of Commons
|
300
|
|
J A Hart
|
50
|
|
Labour Research Department
|
200
|
|
Kidsgrove Town Council
|
50
|
|
Essex Council
|
150
|
|
M A Simmonds
|
50
|
|
Nottingham County Council
|
150
|
|
Northamptonshire County Council
|
50
|
|
Hull City Council
|
100
|
|
Philip Davis MP
|
50
|
|
Milton Keynes Council
|
100
|
|
Squash Campaign
|
50
|
|
Children's Society
|
50
|
|
Tamworth.gov.uk
|
50
|
|
Christopher James
|
50
|
|
Tom Scholes Fog
|
50
|
|
Councillor Jones
|
50
|
|
Unison
|
50
|
|
Cumbria Council
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
Draycott Parish Council
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
Green Party
|
50
|
|
|
|
If you wish to contact us, please write to:
Access Team
Information Governance Unit
Staffordshire County Council
Wedgwood Building - Block A
Tipping Street
Stafford
ST16 2DH
Tel: 01785 278387
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