Nearly all of NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board’s (“ICB”) information can be accessed from this website free of charge. However, in some limited circumstances, charges may apply. Those charges may vary, depending upon which legislation your request is being made under. Please find further details below.
Charges under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”)
Generally, responses to a FOIA request will be provided free of charge. However, should the cost of responding to a request exceed the appropriate costs limit, which is currently £450 or 18 hours work at a statutory rate of £25 per hour, then the ICB can:
- provide advice and assistance so the scope of the request is narrowed and can be answered within the statutory limit; or
- charge for the information under the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 SI No.3244 (“Fees Regulations”).
If neither of the above options are appropriate in the circumstances, the ICB reserves the right to decide not to respond to the request under S.12 FOIA.
In addition, where a request does not exceed the appropriate costs limit, but disbursement costs may be incurred as a result of responding to the request, the ICB may charge a fee for those disbursements reasonably incurred – e.g., photocopying or postage.
You will be told, in the form of a fees notice, in advance of receiving the information if there will be a charge, including the reason for the charge, how much it will be, and how to make a payment. If it is appropriate to charge a fee, then a request will be placed on hold until the fee is received by the ICB.
Charges under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIR”)
Generally, responses to an EIR request will be provided free of charge. However, the ICB may be able to charge a reasonable fee in relation to:
- disbursement costs incurred as a result of providing the information – e.g., photocopying, postage etc.; and
- staff time spent locating the information and putting it into an appropriate format (which differs from the FOIA).
The ICB is required to have a Schedule of Charges under the EIR, which acts as a guideline and is set out below:
| Disbursement | Charge |
| Printing / photocopying | 10p per sheet of A4 |
| Postage | Royal Mail’s postage rate at time of request |
| Staff time spent in locating, retrieving, and extracting environmental information in answer to a request | Assessed on an individual request basis however a guideline rate would be £25 per hour in line with the ‘Fees Regulations’. |
Charges under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 (RPSI)
Most of the ICB’s information is published on this website and is permitted for re-use free of charge.
Where the ICB raises a charge for re-use of information, this charge will only involve the marginal costs incurred in respect of the reproduction, provision, and dissemination of that information. For example, if information was provided on a disk / USB device, then the ICB could charge for the cost of the disk / USB device and any associated postage costs.
Charges under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018
In most cases, the ICB cannot charge a fee to comply with any data subject rights request, including a subject access request.
However, the ICB may be able to charge a reasonable fee for the administrative costs of complying with a data subject rights request, in circumstances where the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, or you request further copies of your personal data.
How to make a payment
Should you require details regarding how to make a payment under the fees notice please contact blmkicb.contactus@nhs.net
Equality Act 2010
Please note that should you, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, reasonably require for the information you have requested to be provided in an accessible format, you will not be charged for the cost of making that information accessible. Should you have any accessibility requirements, in relation to any information requests, please contact:
Email: blmkicb.contactus@nhs.net
Freedom Of Information Lead
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board
3rd Floor
Arndale House
The Mall
Luton LU1 2LJ