Charging Policy: disbursements

Disbursements

3.1 In addition to any charge for the prescribed costs of a request, HSE will also charge for disbursements – that is the cost of physically producing information and sending it out, when costs exceed £35 .

3.2 These include

• Photocopying or printing material
• Postage
• Producing material in an alternative format at the request of the applicant, such as putting it onto CD-Rom, video, or audio cassette
  providing extracts of databases
• Translating information into a different language at the request of the applicant.
• Allowing the applicant reasonable opportunity to inspect a record containing the information

3.3 HSE will take account of the applicant’s preferred format for receiving information, so far as this is reasonably practicable. This includes summarising or translating the information, or allowing the applicant reasonable opportunity to inspect a record containing the information. Costs incurred producing material in an alternative format will be included as disbursement costs. However, if these costs are high, HSE will contact the applicant to discuss whether a free or cheaper alternative might meet their needs equally well.

3.4 The cost of disbursements does not include any of the costs that are listed above as being either included in or excluded from the prescribed costs.

It also does not cover the cost of putting the material in a different format where this is required by law – for example, the cost of producing material in Braille (as required by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995), or translating information into Welsh (as required by the Welsh Language Act 1993).

3.5 HSE will charge for disbursements at:

• Three pence per A4 sheet for printing or photocopying
• Full postage costs. Documents will be sent by second class mail unless specified otherwise
• Actual costs incurred when providing information in other formats as follows:
  • CDs at 40p each
  • Floppy discs at 20p each
  • Non-standard black and white printing – three pence per A5 sheet; six pence per A3 sheet
  • Colour printing – five pence per A4 sheet or smaller; ten pence per A3 sheet
  • Photographs at £5 each (including black and white; colour; from print or negative)
• Any disbursements involving staff time will be charged at a flat rate cost of £25 per hour or part of an hour.

3.6 HSE can charge for disbursements in all cases, whether or not we are also charging for the prescribed costs. In cases where the disbursement cost is low ie less than £35 any fee will be waived.