Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/proposed-members-bills/final-version--foi-consultation-summary.pdf [accessed 24 February 2025] Katy Clark MSP, in the commentary on the summary of consultation responses, states:
The consultation process has shed light on many important issues:
The need for legislative reform given the failure to address operational problems and legislative inadequacies
The extent of migration of publicly funded services from publicly owned bodies
The delay in designating bodies under FOISA
The administrative burden on the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner created by designating many more bodies under FOISA at the one time
The need to extend FOISA in a manageable and proportionate way, with appropriate training, guidance and advice provided to each sector (and, importantly, service-users and the wider public) in advance of commencement date(s)
The need for a proactive duty to provide information and the significant imbalance between the public sector and others providing public services in relation to the provision of information
The need for legislation to be drafted in such a way to create general powers which address new...