Sophie Rises

Ref Nos:11018 – 1458328, 11019 – 1459095 and 11021 – 1460361

10th February 2011

Dear Ms Rises

Thank you for your recent requests for information held by Somerset County Council dated 24th January 2011 in respect of Child Care. Reference numbers 11018 – 1458328, 11019 – 1459095 and 11021 – 1460361 apply respectively.

I attach our responses where we have been able to answer your questions, however, some of the data is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 and 42 of the Freedom of Information Act.

In accordance with our Fee Charging Policy, if the Council receives two or more requests, from the same individual for the same or similar information, within a consecutive 60 working day time period, it reserves the right to aggregate the costs of these requests and apply the relevant charges.

Therefore, for requests 11018 -1458328 and 11021 – 1460361 we can answer your requests in part, but to complete the requests we have estimated that it will cost more than the ‘appropriate limit’. Section 13 of the Freedom of Information Act and the Freedom of Information Fees Regulations makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit, which for local government is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending over 18 hrs at an agreed national hourly rate of £25.00 in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting the information.

However, we are happy to respond to your requests if you pay the fee as set out in this notice. This fee has been calculated as follows:

For request 11018

To access information about parental offences (where recorded and relevant) would entail a reading of 1894 cases at a conservative estimate of 4 hours per case which would equate to 7,576 hours @ £25.00 per hour equalling £189,400.00

If we proceed with the definition of permanent as in question E, as those being adopted – this averages out at approx 25 children each year. Over 8 years this would equate to approximate 200 children. To read and record from each file, even at a conservative estimate of 4 hours per case would be 800 hours @ £25.00 equals £20,000.00

For request 11019 – there is no charge and our response to this request is attached.

For request 11021

To answer question A, it would be necessary to go through each of the files 290 in total at 2 hours per file equates to 580 hours @ £25.00 per hour which equals £14,500.00

This figure would also cover obtaining the data in relation to question B and C

Therefore the overall total cost to obtain the data in your requests is £223,900.00

We are unable to continue processing your request until the fee is paid. If you wish the department to continue to process your request you should pay the fee within 3 calendar months by 12th April 2011. If the department does not receive payment of the fee by this date, I will take it that you do not wish to pursue this request and will consider the request closed.

If you are not satisfied with the way in which your request has been dealt with, or the information you have received you can ask for an internal review of our decision. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:

Peter Grogan

Corporate Information Governance Manager,

County Hall

Taunton

TA1 4DY

Or email .

If you are still not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Commissioner, details at

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF Tel: 0303 – 123 1113

Yours sincerely,

CYPD/FOI Representative

SomersetCounty Council

Taunton TA1 4DY