The right to know: freedom of information in Scotland

Author: Courtney Aitken

PDF Published: Wednesday 14 May 2025 (SB 25-20)

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Overview
Report
- Summary
- Freedom of information
  - Freedom of information in Scotland
- The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
  - The right to information
    
    Making an information request
    
    Scottish public authorities
    
    Powers to change the bodies covered by freedom of information legislation
    
    Amending the schedule 1 list of public authorities
    
    Designating a new public authority using the section 5 order making power
    
    Limiting the application of the Act to certain public authority functions
    
    Proactive publication and the publication scheme duty
    
    Time for compliance with an information request
    
    Fees and excessive cost of compliance provisions
    
    Format of response to information request
    
    Responses to information requests
    
    Information held by public authorities
    
    Information transferred to the Keeper of the Records of Scotland
    
    Refusal of information request
    
    Information exempt from disclosure
    
    Absolute exemptions
    
    Section 25: Information otherwise accessible
    
    Section 26: Prohibitions on disclosure
    
    Section 36(2): Confidentiality
    
    Section 37: Court records
    
    Section 38: Personal information
    
    Qualified exemptions
    
    The public interest test
    
    How the public interest test is applied
    
    Section 27: Information intended for future publication
    
    Section 28: Relations within the United Kingdom
    
    Section 29: Formulation of Scottish Administration policy
    
    Section 30: Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs
    
    Section 31: National security and defence
    
    Section 32: International relations
    
    Section 33: Commercial interests and the economy
    
    Section 34: Investigations by Scottish public authorities
    
    Section 35: Law enforcement
    
    Section 36(1): Confidentiality
    
    Section 39: Health, safety and the environment
    
    Section 40: Audit functions
    
    Section 41: Communications with His Majesty etc. and honours
    
    Historical records
    
    Meaning of historical record
    
    Time-limited exemptions
    
    Vexatious or repeated requests
  - Enforcement of the freedom of information regime
    
    The role of the Scottish Information Commissioner
    
    Public authority review
    
    Applicant requirement for review
    
    Public authority review procedure
    
    Appealing to the Scottish Information Commissioner
    
    Codes of Practice
    
    Section 60 Code of Practice: Good freedom of information practice
    
    Section 61 Code of Practice: Records management and freedom of information
    
    Information notices
    
    Interventions and enforcement notices
    
    The First Ministerial "veto" of Scottish Information Commissioner decisions
    
    Scottish Information Commissioner powers of entry and inspection
- The Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004: Access to information about the environment
  - Definition of environmental information
  - Public authorities covered by the EIRs
    
    Obligations under the EIRs
    
    Active dissemination of environmental information
    
    Provision of environmental information on request
    
    Duty to provide assistance and information on fees
    
    Refusal of environmental information requests
    
    Transfer of environmental information requests
    
    Making a request for information under FOISA and the EIRs
  - Exceptions under the EIRs
    
    Overview of the exceptions in Regulation 10
    
    Differences between EIRs and FOISA
  - Enforcement of the EIRs
  - Summary of differences between FOISA and the EIRs
- Twenty years of freedom of information in Scotland
  - The impact of freedom of information in Scotland
  - Four Scottish Information Commissioners
  - Freedom of Information (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2013
  - New public bodies designated under FOISA
  - Freedom of information during the COVID-19 Pandemic
    
    Coronavirus legislation
    
    Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020
    
    Coronavirus (Scotland) (No. 2) Act 2020
    
    Coronavirus (Extension and Expiry) (Scotland) Act 2021
    
    Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) Scotland Act 2022
    
    Scottish Information Commissioner Special Reports on COVID-19 and freedom of information
    
    The UK COVID-19 Inquiry and freedom of information practice
- The future of freedom of information in Scotland and potential for reform
  - Post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
    
    Who is covered
    
    What is covered
    
    Proactive publication and resourcing of freedom of information
    
    Requests for information
    
    Resourcing, reviews, and appeals
    
    Responses to the Committee report
  - Consultations on freedom of information reform
    
    The proposed Freedom of Information Reform Bill
    
    Response to the consultation
    
    General aim of the proposed Member's Bill
    
    Specific aims of the proposed Member's Bill
    
    Scottish Government consultation on freedom of information
    
    Consultation analysis
    
    Agility of the FOISA regime
    
    Developments in information technology
    
    Improving proactive publication
    
    Technical updates to FOISA
    
    Response to the consultation
  - What's next for freedom of information reform?
    
    Scottish Parliament
    
    Scottish Government
- Summary
- Freedom of information
- The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
- The Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004: Access to information about the environment
- Twenty years of freedom of information in Scotland
- The future of freedom of information in Scotland and potential for reform
Sources

Bar chart showing the number of freedom of information request made in each financial year between 2013 and 2025.

Image: Freedom of information requests made to Scottish public authorities between 2013 and 2025 …

Bar chart showing the number of requests for environmental information made in each financial year between 2013 and 2025.

Image: Requests for environmental information made to Scottish public authorities between 2013 and 2025 …

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Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 37: Court records, etc.. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-07/BriefingSection37CourtRecords_2023.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

Scottish Information Commissioner. (2024). FOISA Guidance: Section 38: Personal Information. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2022-04/BriefingSection38PersonalInformationGDPR.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

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Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 27: Information intended for future publication. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-05/BriefingSection27InformationIntendedforFuturePublication_25.5.23.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 28: Relations within the United Kingdom. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-05/BriefingSection28RelationswithintheUnitedKingdom_25.5.23.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 29: Formulation of Scottish Administration policy etc.. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2022-04/BriefingSection29FormulationofScottishAdministrationPolicy.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

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Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 32: International Relations. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-05/BriefingSection32InternationalRelations_25.5.23.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 33: Commercial interests and the economy. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-06/BriefingSection33CommercialInterestsandtheEconomy.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

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Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 35: Law Enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2022-04/BriefingSection35LawEnforcement.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance. Section 39: Health, Safety and the Environment. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-07/BriefingSection39HealthSafetyandtheEnvironment_2023.pdf [accessed 11 October 2024]

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Scottish Information Commissioner. (2023). FOISA Guidance Section 41: Communications with His Majesty etc. and honours. Retrieved from https://www.foi.scot/sites/default/files/2023-07/BriefingSection41CommunicationsWithHisMajestyetcandHonours_2023.pdf [accessed 1 April 2025]

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Last Updated: 26/7 11:53am

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