Ministers accept the need for more open government
Scottish ministers last night took the unusual step of accepting a Holyrood motion condemning their own performance in responding to freedom-of-information (FOI) requests.
SNP MSPS backed a Scottish Conservative motion criticising the Scottish Government’s FOI record and calling for an independent inquiry.
The Tories said the SNP administration had been operating under a “code of secrecy”.
Parliamentary business manager Joe Fitzpatrick said the government’s recent performance has “not been good enough”. Questioned by the Lib Dem Tavish Scott, Mr Fitzpatrick also admitted government special advisers checked requests for political damage.
Data collected by the Tories showed the government responded in full to less than four in ten of the requests it received last year while one in five responses was late.
Tory MSP Edward Mountain said: “Some of the issues they raise include delays beyond the 20 working-days deadline, emails requesting updates being routinely ignored, officials delaying responses for so long that initial requests are answered only under internal review and Scottish Government officials taking control of requests from other government agencies without the consent of the applicant.”
He said the government was finding ways to “avoid scrutiny”.
“Meetings with no agendas and certainly no minutes, hiding behind thin veils of commercial confidentiality - to me that points to a code of secrecy, defending the indefensible and fuelling the lack of trust that the public have in politicians.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley said: “At times the responses to freedom-ofinformation requests seem more like they are dodging the questions than providing the answers. At its heart, freedom of information is about accountability and this government must recognise that across this chamber.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said steps were being taken to improve FOI performance, including the publication of all information released in response to FOI requests.
He said: “While there might be some surprise that the government is accepting the motion, anyone who has been listening to the debate will know that we accept our recent performance has not been good enough.”