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How to access information

Availability of Information

Unless otherwise specified in this scheme:

• The classes of information we commit to publishing under this scheme are published both on the Department's website and in hard copy.
• Hard copy publications are available in hard copy from the Publications website or Orderline.
• The information subject to this scheme is available free of charge (but also see information on ‘Charges’ below).
• There is no commitment to publish information held by the Department for more than 3 years.
• Requests for information not described in the scheme should be made in writing to the Response Centre

Responsibility for the Publication Scheme

The Solicitor and Director General, Legal Services has overall responsibility for the publication scheme. The person responsible for maintaining the publication scheme on a daily basis is:

Graham Rowlinson
Head of Information Rights Unit
Room LG131
1 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0ET

Email: Graham.Rowlinson@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0207 215 6452

The scheme is available in hard copy from the Publications website or Orderline

Charges

Where a standing charge is applied for a publication, the charge will be as permitted by "Charges for Information: When and How – Guidance for Government Departments and other Crown Bodies". (A print out of this document is available from Publications Unit.)

We indicate for each class of information in our publication scheme whether a charge is likely to apply to information within the class. Where a charge is applied, this is indicated in the listing of specific publications in our Publications website or on request from the appropriate contact for hard copies.

Information is published free of charge on our website (i.e. there is no charge by us, although the user would have to meet any charges by their internet service provider, personal printing costs, etc). For those without internet access, a single printout as on the website is available by post from the Information Rights Unit (contact details above). However, requests for multiple print-outs may attract a charge for the cost of retrieval, photocopy, postage, etc. We would let you know this at the time of your request. Any charges applied would be payable in advance.

The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, its Agencies and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) operate a number of schemes where information is provided by way of a charged-for service. Typically, what is provided under such services is a mix of information already held in a recorded form by the Department, its Agencies or UKTI and of information not already held in recorded form.

A list of our charged-for services and the charge applied for each service is available in hard copy from the Information Rights Unit.

The Department is not liable for the contents, reliability or availability of any external internet sites listed, nor does it necessarily endorse any views or services mentioned within them.

Relationship with the Information Asset Register

The Information Asset Register (IAR) provides a guide to unpublished information held by the Department. These resources may be available on request, subject to exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Each Department is responsible for creating records within its own departmental asset register. These are then submitted to the central IAR at OPSI. The central IAR covers all Government Departments and other Crown Bodies and can be found at Inforoute.