Freedom
of Information
Making a request / Transferring
requests / Consultation with third parties
/ Fees / Timescales
/ Complaints procedure
Making a request
Applicants who wish to make a request for information from
the Competition Commission should take the following steps:
Your request for information must be in writing and must
state:
- Your name
- Your return address
- A description of the information that is requested
You can submit your request to the Head of Planning
by e-mail at
or to the following address:
Head of Planning
Competition Commission
Victoria House, Southampton Row
London WC1B 4AD
If you require any assistance in completing your request
for information, you may direct your request for assistance
to
Gail Sugden, Head of Planning, e-mail: foi@competition-commission.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7271 0145
Transferring requests
If you have requested information which the CC believes is
held by another public authority, it may be appropriate for
you to re-apply to the public authority. Alternatively, the
CC may transfer your request for information to another public
authority. Where the CC decides that it is appropriate to
transfer your request to another public authority, the CC
will first check that the other public authority holds the
information which you have requested. If you wish to be notified
before the CC transfers your request for information to another
public authority, you should state this in your application.
Consultation with third
parties
The CC may need to consult third parties (including another
public authority) in order to reach a decision on whether
the requested information can be released. If you wish to
be notified before the CC consults a third party about your
request for information, you should state this in your application.
Fees
The CC will charge a fee for complying with a request for
information in accordance with the The
Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit
and Fees) Regulations 2004 . Guidance
on the application of these regulations is provided by the
Department for Constitutional Affairs. A summary
of the guidance is also available
You will receive a Fees Notice which sets out the amount
you must pay to the CC.
If the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting the information
is £450 or less, the CC may charge for photocopying,
printing and postage costs. If the cost is more than £450,
the CC is not obliged to comply with your request. However,
the CC will consider whether it is possible to provide any
information within the cost ceiling of £450. It will
also consider whether it is reasonable to answer your request
and charge an appropriate fee.
Timescales
Under the Freedom of Information Act, the CC is required to
respond to your request for information within 20 working
days following the date on which your request was received.
Furthermore, the Act makes a number of provisions for extra
time to be taken in responding to a request, for example:
- The timescale is put on hold if, after initial
consideration of your request, a fee is requested. When
a request for payment is sent to you, the 20-day working
deadline is put on hold and will start running again (from
where it stopped, not back to the beginning of the 20 days)
when the appropriate fee is received.
- If the information being sought has to be considered
under an exemption to which the public interest test
applies,
then the timescale is extended by a “reasonable period”.
The CC will, however, tell you within the 20-day period
which exemption(s) it believes apply to the information
requested, and give you its estimate of the date by which
it expects to reach a decision regarding the application
of this exemption.
Complaints procedure
If you are dissatisfied with the CC’s response to your
request for information (including a decision to levy a fee)
you may discuss the decision with the official who dealt with
your request. However, if this informal discussion does not
resolve your complaint, you may submit your complaint in writing
to the CC’s Chief Executive, either by e-mail to david.saunders@cc.gsi.gov.uk
or by post to the following address:
Chief Executive
Competition Commission
Victoria House, Southampton Row
London WC1B 4AD The Chief Executive will consider your complaint, and will
confirm, reverse or amend the decision. He will advise you
in writing of the outcome of your complaint.
If you are dissatisfied with the Chief Executive’s
decision, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner
for a decision as to whether the CC has dealt with your request
for information in accordance with the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Act. An application may be made to
the Information Commissioner’s Office by post to the
following address:
FOI Compliance Team (complaints)
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
The Information Commissioner’s telephone help line
is 01625 545 745 and 0845 630 60 60.
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