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           Architects Registration Board 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Date:  26 November 2009 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ref:  FOI – Europe  
 
 
 
 
By Email  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dear Mr Salisbury,  
 
Freedom of Information Request 
 
Thank you for your request of 29 October 2009, in which you made the fol owing request 
for information. 
 
1.  The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 
2007 were brought into force on the 19th October 2007, and the Architects 
(Recognition of the European Qualifications etc and saving and Transitional 
Provisions) Regulations 2008 were brought into force on the 20th June 2008.  I think 
that the “enforce” period wil  have been long enough for the Board to have gathered 
information that gives the costs to the Board arising out of those Regulations.   
 
I would be grateful if you would let me have details of those costs, and annualised.   
 
I have considered your request for information very careful y. I have interpreted it to mean 
that you require information on the Board’s expenditure in relation to the execution of its 
duties relating to the Qualifications Directive and associated regulations.   
 
Having looked at the expenditure directly relating to the legislation, I have identified the 
fol owing area of cost:  legal advice, updating guidance, devising provisions for Part 2 of 
the Register and costs associated with the notification of qualifications to the European 
Commission.  I am, however, unable to identify specific staff costs incurred in this area, 
as we do not calculate staff resources directly to actual activities.   
 
Whilst I am able to provide the breakdown of the costs listed below, I must point out that 
the Board has always incurred costs in relation to its role as a competent authority. As 
you wil  appreciate, the early years of any new Directive are likely to attract exceptional 
costs.   
 
 
 

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Legal advice: 
2007 = £58,854 
 
2008 = £54,542 
 
2009 = £34,793 
 
Updating published guidance = £4,000 
 
Devising system for Part 2 registration = £6,000 
 
Associated costs of notification of Qualifications to Europe since 2008 = £7,138 
 
Part 2 of your request stated: 
 
2.  I am aware that the Board also pay for subscription to the Architects Council of 
Europe and engages in the activity of that Council.  I am particularly interested to 
know whether the above two sets of regulations have affected the level of the Boards 
activities in respect of this Council.  May I therefore know how much the Board 
spends on this activity, and its subscription, for the past 3 years (that is for 2008, 
2007 and 2006) together with any provisional figures that you may have concerning 
expenditure for the current year.  May I please ask you to identify in your figures  
 
(a)  the amounts paid to Board members and expenses set against number of 
foreign trips undertaken (which number please provide); and  
 
(b) the same for the Board’s officers;  
 
(c) the costs of payments to third parties including (which includes itemised) ACE; 
and  
 
(d) internal administration and all associations including staff costs. 
 
The Board has been a joint member of the Architects Council of Europe with the RIBA for 
the last nine years.  Membership costs are split between the two organisations, as is 
attendance at various meetings of the Council.  The subscription costs are listed below. 
 
2006 = £31,461 
2007 = £31,755 
2008 = £37,179 
2009 = £40,313 
 
As the subscription fee is payable in Euros, the exchange rate has had a significant 
impact on the actual cost to ARB.   
 
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Please find attached as Annex A a breakdown of the costs you have asked for in (a), (b) 
and (c).  As previously explained, we do not calculate staff resources against individual 
activities, so I am unable to provide you with the information requested in (d).   
 
In your request, you were particularly interested to know whether the Qualifications 
Directive and regulations have affected the level of the Board’s activities in its dealings 
with ACE.   Whilst there have been numerous discussions at the General Assembly 
meetings of ACE with regards to the Directive, there has only been one attendance by a 
member of staff at a specific working group to discuss the Qualifications Directive.   
 
 ACE holds two General Assembly meetings a year which are normally attended by two 
Board members and the Registrar.  ACE also has a number of working groups running 
throughout the year, and our attendance is dictated by their relevance to the Board’s 
work.   
 
I hope the information provided is of assistance, but please do not hesitate to contact me 
if I can assist further. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
 
Karen Holmes  
Deputy Registrar and Head of Registration 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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