Royal Mail handling fee

Dear Mr Sheppard

Thank you for your request for information received on 10/08/2009, which
we are considering under the Freedom of Information Act. Under the Act
you should expect a reply from us to be sent by 08/09/2009, which is
twenty working days from receipt of your request.

If for any reason we are unable to provide you with a full response within
that time, we will contact you explaining the reasons for this and giving
a revised date by which we will reply.

If in the mean time you have any questions or would like to contact us
about your request, please contact us by telephone 01252 806513 or
alternatively email or write to us at the address below. Please be
assured that we are giving this our attention and will get back to you
shortly.

Yours sincerely

John Cere
[1][Royal Mail Group request email]
Freedom of Information Unit
PO Box 341, ALDERSHOT, GU11 1WW

Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered in
England and Wales.
Registered number 4138203. Registered office at 148 Old Street, LONDON
EC1V 9HQ

References

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1. mailto:[Royal Mail Group request email]

Dear Mr Sheppard

I am writing in response to your email received on 7^th August 2009
regarding the number of items where Custom charges were applied during
2008/09. You requested the following information under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act:

***Could you please tell me how many items entering the UK have been
subject to the Royal Mail handling fee (**8) for the financial year
2008/09 or the most recent financial year available?

All postal items that enter the United Kingdom may be examined by Customs,
but normally letters, postcards and packets containing only documents or
similar forms of correspondence are not required to be presented to
Customs.

Packages received from overseas (apart from another EU Country), may incur
customs charges. Any package assessed by HM Revenue and Customs as being
liable for Customs charges (import duty/tax) will also incur a Royal Mail
handling fee.

The Royal Mail customs handling fee is charged for customs clearance of
items in respect of which import duty and/or tax is due. Items in respect
of which no import duty and/or tax is due will continue to be cleared
through customs free of charge. It is a legal requirement for Royal Mail
to segregate packets arriving from overseas (non-EU countries) and to
present to Customs those items that are liable for import duty/tax under
current customs regulations.

We do hold information relating to the number of items subject to the
handling fee. However, I am unable to provide this information to you as
it is considered to be commercially sensitive and therefore exempt from
disclosure under section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act. The
exemption applies because international mail is an unregulated and highly
competitive product. If this information was disclosed it would be likely
to be utilised by competitors and could therefore prejudice the commercial
interests of Royal Mail.

This exemption is subject to the public interest test. We have carefully
considered the public interest and believe that, in this instance, the
public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public
interest in disclosing it. The disclosure of sensitive operational
information would be prejudicial to the ability of Royal Mail Group to
operate fairly in a highly competitive open market subject to competition
from rivals. Royal Mail Group is a publicly owned company and there is a
real and direct public interest in its commercial performance and
financial well-being. Therefore in our view the public interest lies in
withholding this information.

I am sorry that I cannot provide the specific information you requested.
If for any reason you are not satisfied with this reply, you do have a
right to request an internal review of the way in which your request has
been answered. If you wish to do so, please write to the Head of
Information Compliance, Royal Mail Group, Company Secretary's Office, 100
Victoria Embankment, LONDON, EC4Y 0HQ

If, having requested an internal review, you are still not satisfied with
our response you also have a right to appeal to the Information
Commissioner who may be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Yours Sincerely

John Cere
Freedom of Information Case Officer
[Royal Mail Group request email]

Dear Mr Sheppard

Re: Internal Review under the Freedom of Information Act

Thank you for your email received 14/09/2009 requesting an internal review
of Royal Mail Group’s reply to your request for information under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. This is receiving our attention and I
will write to you again once the internal review has been concluded.

In accordance with guidelines from the Information Commissioner’s Office,
Royal Mail will answer all appeals and requests for internal review of FOI
requests as soon as it reasonably can. This will usually be within 20
working days and in any case no later than 40 days from receipt of the
appeal.

In the mean time if you have any questions or would like to add any further
information for consideration then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sent by MF Khushi on behalf of Martin Rush
Head of Information Compliance
[email address]

Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered in England
and Wales.
Registered number 4138203. Registered office at 100 Victoria Embankment,
LONDON, EC4Y 0HQ

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Dear Mr Sheppard

Please find attached a response to your request for an Internal Review by
Royal Mail Group.
(See attached file: Sheppard IR2.pdf)
Yours sincerely

Colin Young
Freedom of Information Manager
[Royal Mail Group request email]

Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered in England
and Wales.
Registered number 4138203. Registered office at 100 Victoria Embankment,
LONDON, EC4Y 0HQ

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Jonathan

Further to your email of 09/12/2009 please find attached the relevant
document.

If you have any queries or wish to request further information please
email [Royal Mail Group request email]

Yours Sincerely

John Cere
[1][Royal Mail Group request email]
Freedom of Information Unit
PO Box 341, ALDERSHOT, GU11 1WW

Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered in
England and Wales.
Registered number 4138203. Registered office at 100 Victoria Embankment,
LONDON, EC4Y 0HQ

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Royal Mail Group request email]