1,000 appeals under FoI legislation
28 Sep 06
Information Commissioner claims Act is one of the Scottish Parliament's most successful
The Scottish Information Commissioner has received 1,000 appeals since the freedom of information legislation was brought in.
Speaking on yesterday's International Right to Know Day, Kevin Dunion said the figure exceeded all expectations made before the new powers came into force in January 2005. Freedom of information compels public authorities such as councils, health boards, police and publicly-owned companies to share certain information with the public. If the request is turned down, people can appeal to the Commissioner.
Mr Dunion said that through his decisions, people had found out information which affected their day-to-day lives, such as how their jobs are evaluated and whether speed cameras were checked for accuracy.
A total of 64% of the appeals have come from the public, with solicitors, usually on behalf of a client, comprising 13%. A total of 8% came from the media and 5% from elected politicians.
Mr Dunion claimed that the Freedom of Information Act was one of the most successful pieces of legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament, and that authorities across Scotland had responded positively to requests for information.