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Our Guide to Information

Our Guide to Information

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act) requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a publication scheme. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:

  • Publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
  • Tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost.

The Scottish Information Commissioner adopted the Model Publication Scheme. If you prefer a copy to be provided to you in another format contact us on 01334 464610.

The purpose of this Guide to Information is to:

  • Allow the public to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class
  • State what charges may be applied
  • Explain how to find the information easily
  • Provide contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information
  • Explain how to request information we hold that has not been published

More about our Guide to Information

The Guide is split into the following sections:

Availability and Formats

The information we publish through this scheme is, wherever possible, available on our website. We offer alternative arrangements for people who do not want to, or cannot, access the information online or by inspection at our premises. For example, we can usually arrange to send information to you in paper copy (although there may be a charge for this - see charges below).

Exempt Information

We will publish the information we hold that falls within the classes of information below. If a document contains information that is exempt under Scotland's freedom of information laws (for example sensitive personal information or a trade secret), we will remove or 'black out' the information before publication and explain why.

Copyright
Charges

This section explains when we may make a charge for our publications and how any charge will be calculated. There is no charge to view information on our website or at our premises.

We may charge for providing information to you, but we will charge you no more than it actually costs us to do so. We will always tell you what the cost is before providing the information to you.

Our photocopying charge per side of paper is shown below: 

  • Black and White photocopying = 10p per A4 page
  • Colour photocopying = 20p per A4 page

Information provided on CD-Rom will be charged at 50p per computer disc.

Postage costs will be recharged at the rate we paid to send the information to you. Our charge is for sending info by Royal Mail First Class.

When providing copies of pre-printed publications, we will charge no more than the cost per copy, pro rata, of the total print run.

We do not pass on any other costs to you in relation to our published information.

Please note that this charging schedule does not apply to our commercial publications (see Class 8 below). These items are offered for sale through retail outlets such as book shops, academic journal websites or museum shops and their price reflects a 'market value' which may include the cost of production.

Contact Us

You can contact us for assistance with any aspect of this publication scheme:

The Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS

Tel: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611

Email: enquiries@foi.scot 

We will also advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish or how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the publication scheme.

If you wish to make a request for information not contained in the publication scheme, contact us using the details above.

BSL users can contact us using the ContactSCOTLAND-BSL service.

The classes of information that we publish

We publish information that we hold within the following classes. Once information is published under a class we will continue to make it available for the current and previous two financial years.

Where information has been updated or superseded, only the current version will be available. If you would like to see previous versions, you may make a request to us for that information.

Class 1: About the authority

Information about the authority, who we are, where to find us, how to contact us, how we are managed and our external relations.

Our enabling legislation

About us

Governance and accountability

External relations/working with others

Keeping others informed

Class 2: How the authority delivers its functions and services

Information about our work, our strategy and policies for delivering functions and services and information for our service users.

Information on rights, and how to make requests, reviews and appeals

Guidance for public authorities

Downloadable resources

Class 4: What the authority spends and how it spends it
Class 5: How the authority manages its human, physical and information resources
Class 7: How the authority is performing
Class 8: Our commercial procedures

Information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis and sold at market value through a retail outlet e.g, bookshop, museum or research journal.

We do not hold or publish any information under this class.