Expansion of FOI laws must ‘have teeth’
Ministers must ensure any expansion of Freedom of Information (FOI) laws “have teeth” and represent “real progress”, a Labour MSP has said
Proposals brought forward by Katy Clark would see private firms, trusts and arms-length bodies become subject to freedom of information legislation when they deliver public services.
This would be a significant extension of the existing legislation, and would see care homes and bodies such as the Scottish Convention of Local Authorities and the Scottish Police Federation fall under the legislation.
Such a move would allow the public access to key financial information and internal correspondence, improving transparency and accountability.
Ahead of the Holyrood FOI conference, the Labour MSP demanded any update to legislation must “have teeth” and not represent “more kicking the can down the road”.
She said:“foiw as a significant gain in the early years of devolution. So much of this has been eroded in the past decade, with the rise of unaccountable and distant arms-length bodies' spending public money and making critical decisions with little scrutiny. never was this more than during the Covid pandemic, with the tragic deaths in care homes, so many of which operate in the private sector and are exempt from FOI.
"Continuing to exempt these opaquely owned firms, often owned abroad in tax havens, in the long term risks a return to 1980s and early 1990s-style secrecy. That’s why any announcements made by the Scottish Government must have teeth. The public expects real progress, not more kicking the can down the road.”