Dear Sir or Madam,

     In a 10 July reply to an on-line Freedom of Information Request,
     the Interim Solicitor for Rother District Council stated that:

     "Any application for consent to re-use information will be
     considered under the Re-use of Public Sector Information
     Regulations 2005, but if consent is given a charge may be made to
     you."

     The power to charge for allowing re-use is detailed in Section 15
     of the aforementioned Re-use of Public Sector Information
     Regulations 2005. In particular:

     "(5) Where a public sector body charges for re-use, so far as is
     reasonably practicable, it shall establish standard charges."

     "(7) Where a standard charge for re-use has not been established,
     the public sector body shall specify in writing the factors that
     will be taken into account in calculating the charge if requested
     to do so by an applicant."

     May I have a copy of:

     * all established standard charges so far in existence for the
     re-use of Rother District Council's Public Sector Information,
     under Subsection 15(5).

     * the list of factors that will be taken into account when
     calculating the charge for re-use of information obtained under the
     Freedom of Information Act, under Subsection 15(7).

     I hope it is clear that this minimal information needs to be
     available to the market so that people know what's on offer and at
     what price, and are then able to contribute to the Council's costs
     of collection, production, reproduction and dissemination of
     documents, as well as its reasonable return on investment.

     It is not in anyone's interest for the public to hold an unfounded
     suspicion that a charging regime is being applied to frustrate the
     re-use of public sector information, rather than to raise revenue.

     Yours faithfully,

     Julian Todd.

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