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Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. The Act – an Overview

    1. Part 1 – Access to information held by Scottish public authorities

    2. Part 2 – Exempt information

    3. Part 3 – The Scottish Information Commissioner

    4. Part 4 – Enforcement

    5. Part 5 – Historical records

    6. Part 6 – Codes of practice

    7. Part 7 – Miscellaneous and supplemental

  3. The Act – Section by Section

    1. Part 1 – Access to information held by Scottish public authorities

      1. Section 1 – General entitlement

      2. Section 2 – Effect of exemptions

      3. Section 3 – Scottish public authorities

      4. Section 4 – Amendment of schedule 1

      5. Section 5 – Further power to designate Scottish public authorities

      6. Section 6 – Publicly-owned companies

      7. Section 7 – Public authorities to which Act has limited application

      8. Section 8 – Requesting information

      9. Section 9 – Fees

      10. Section 10 – Time for compliance

      11. Section 11 – Means of providing information

      12. Section 12 – Excessive cost of compliance

      13. Section 13 – Fees for disclosure in certain circumstances

      14. Section 14 – Vexatious or repeated requests

      15. Section 15 – Duty to provide advice and assistance

      16. Section 16 – Refusal of request

      17. Section 17 – Notice that information is not held

      18. Section 18 – Further provision as respects responses to request

      19. Section 19 – Content of certain notices

      20. Section 20 – Requirement for review of refusal etc.

      21. Section 21 – Review by Scottish public authority

      22. Section 22 – Special provisions relating to records transferred to the Keeper

      23. Section 23 – Publication schemes

      24. Section 24 – Model publication schemes

    2. Part 2 – Exempt information

      1. Section 25 – Information otherwise accessible

      2. Section 26 – Prohibitions on disclosure

      3. Section 27 – Information intended for future publication

      4. Section 28 – Relations within the United Kingdom

      5. Section 29 – Formulation of Scottish Administration policy etc.

      6. Section 30 – Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs

      7. Section 31 – National security and defence

      8. Section 32 – International relations

      9. Section 33 – Commercial interests and the economy

      10. Section 34 – Investigations by Scottish public authorities and proceedings arising out of such investigations

      11. Section 35 – Law enforcement

      12. Section 36 – Confidentiality

      13. Section 37 – Court records, etc.

      14. Section 38 – Personal information

      15. Section 39 – Health, safety and the environment

      16. Section 40 – Audit functions

      17. Section 41 – Communications with Her Majesty, etc. and honours

    3. Part 3 – The Scottish Information Commissioner

      1. Section 42 – The Scottish Information Commissioner

      2. Section 43 – General functions of Commissioner

      3. Section 44 – Recommendations as to good practice

      4. Section 45 – Confidentiality of information obtained by or furnished to Commissioner

      5. Section 46 – Laying of reports

    4. Part 4 – Enforcement

      1. Section 47 – Application for decision by Commissioner

      2. Section 48 – When application excluded

      3. Section 49 – Commissioner’s decision

      4. Section 50 – Information notices

      5. Section 51 – Enforcement notices

      6. Section 52 – Exception from duty to comply with certain notices

      7. Section 53 – Failure to comply with notice

      8. Section 54 – Powers of entry and inspection

      9. Section 55 – No civil right of action against Scottish public authority

      10. Section 56 – Appeal against notices under Part 4

    5. Part 5 – Historical records

      1. Section 57 – The expression “historical record”

      2. Section 58 – Falling away of exemptions with time

      3. Section 59 – Power to vary periods in sections 57 and 58

    6. Part 6 – Codes of practice

      1. Section 60 – Code of practice as to functions under this Act

      2. Section 61 – Code of practice as to the keeping, management and destruction of records

    7. Part 7 – Miscellaneous and supplemental

      1. Section 62 – Power to make provision relating to environmental information

      2. Section 63 – Disclosure of information to Scottish Public Services Ombudsman or to the UK Information Commissioner

      3. Section 64 – Power to amend or repeal enactments prohibiting disclosure of information

      4. Section 65 – Offence of altering etc. records with intent to prevent disclosure

      5. Section 67 – Protection for actions for defamation

      6. Section 68 – Scottish Parliament and Scottish Administration

      7. Section 69 – Exercise of rights by children

      8.  Section 70 – Amendment of Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937

      9. Section 71 – Amendment of Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002

      10. Section 72 – Orders and regulations

      11. Section 74 – Giving of notice

      12. Section 75 – Commencement

    8. Schedules

      1. Schedule 1 – Scottish Public Authorities (introduced by section 3(1)(a)(i))

      2. Schedule 2 – The Scottish Information Commissioner (introduced by section 42(12))

      3. Schedule 3 – Powers of Entry and Inspection (introduced by section 54)

      4. Schedule 4 – Consequential amendments to Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 (introduced by section 71(2))

  4. Parliamentary History of Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

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