How much does it cost an authority to provide information for free if the cost is below a specified amount?

The correct answer is £450. This amount reflects the threshold set by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the UK, which indicates that public authorities are not obliged to comply with a request for information if the cost of providing that information falls below this specified amount. Therefore, if the cost to retrieve, process, and provide the information is estimated to be below £450, the authority can choose to provide that information for free.

This policy is designed to balance the need for public access to information with the practicalities and costs associated with providing it. Thus, it reinforces the concept that while transparency is important, there are practical limitations within which public authorities must operate.