How can you justify charging when the government claims to believe in greater freedom of access to information?
A. The Government attaches importance to the pro-active release of information and a great deal of information that may have a commercial use is already available without charge. For example, government departments release consultation documents, announcements of government policy (Press Notices, White Papers etc). Where information is tailored to the needs of the requester, or where government provides value-added information of commercial value, it is right to seek to recover the full amount of the value-added element, plus a return on investment where appropriate. This is fairer both to the taxpayer and to potential re-users who gain a commercial benefit from information paid for out of taxpayers’ money.
