Michael, I understand how you feel; where I have information however I feel I must share it. The Freedom of Information Act requires administration. As a matter of interest, I exercised my rights under FOI completely free of charge. Jammy eh? It doesnt necessarily follow that fees are payable although I knew that payment of fees in advance of the release of the 1911 census under the FOI would mean that all the information was not received for payment and that fees would be required when the census itself was released for public viewing. Seriously, the principle of government is not to make a profit out of the populace; it may be a question of a loss on one department that is settled by a profit in another. I dont object paying for something out of which I derive satisfaction to my curiousity. ;-) Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: "MF" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 12:00 PM Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLEOFMULL] Free credits from Scotland's People : Janet : : I understand of course : : But I believe that they ARE making a profit, and I see the charges as : another backdoor tax: : The Freedom of Information Act, unfortunately doesn't mean 'free of charge': : Anyway, we digress: : On a genealogy note, the greater part of the 1911 Census is currently being : transcribed at this end (minus Kilininian): : This is thanks to the unprecedented generosity of one site user, and the : help of others in transcribing: : Some parts/pages now currently on site : : : Michael : www.mullfamilies.co.uk

Janet I concur With regard to the FOI, you don't say to whom you applied. I wonder if anyone has actually cited the FOI in regards to the records at SP ? If so, what was the official response ? Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: "Janet" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 3:25 PM Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLEOFMULL] Free credits from Scotland's People > Michael, I understand how you feel; where I have information however I > feel I must share it. The Freedom of Information Act requires > administration. As a matter of interest, I exercised my rights under FOI > completely free of charge. Jammy eh? It doesnt necessarily follow that > fees are payable although I knew that payment of fees in advance of the > release of the 1911 census under the FOI would mean that all the > information was not received for payment and that fees would be required > when the census itself was released for public viewing. > Seriously, the principle of government is not to make a profit out of the > populace; it may be a question of a loss on one department that is > settled by a profit in another. I dont object paying for something out > of which I derive satisfaction to my curiousity. ;-) > > Janet > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "MF" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 12:00 PM > Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLEOFMULL] Free credits from Scotland's People > > > : Janet > : > : I understand of course > : > : But I believe that they ARE making a profit, and I see the charges as > : another backdoor tax: > : The Freedom of Information Act, unfortunately doesn't mean 'free of > charge': > : Anyway, we digress: > : On a genealogy note, the greater part of the 1911 Census is currently > being > : transcribed at this end (minus Kilininian): > : This is thanks to the unprecedented generosity of one site user, and the > : help of others in transcribing: > : Some parts/pages now currently on site > : > : > : Michael > : www.mullfamilies.co.uk > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

If you need to make an application under Freedom of Information one refers to the office or department that holds the records you need. In the instance of the 1911 census, one would have referred either to the local Registry office or to GRO itself. Alternatively, the Information Commissioner's Office would give you all the information you need. You have to be very careful to know what fees you are paying in advance and what information you are going to have access to for those fees, because it is often the way that because there is legislation that prevents members of the public from seeing them - i.e. the 100 yr rule - they don't get all the information that is released to the public, when it is rolled out to the whole of the country. I was very vocal about this on another List at the time and I found that people just wouldnt believe they weren't going to get it all. They have learned since. A Freedom of Information application applies to records that are not already in the public domain. Records of births, marriages and deaths are public records, as you know. The 100 yr rule applies and I think you could refer to FOI for those for which one would not normally have access and see with what result, but it would have to be a legitimate application. I don't see any harm in your sending an e-mail to someone about it, but you would have to pay fees for public records. Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: "MF" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 3:53 PM Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLEOFMULL] Free credits from Scotland's People : Janet : : I concur : : With regard to the FOI, you don't say to whom you applied. : : I wonder if anyone has actually cited the FOI in regards to the records at : SP ? : : If so, what was the official response ? : : : Michael