Duties under FOI law

From time to time new bodies are brought under FOI law. When this happens, they become “public authorities” for the purposes of FOI. These pages provide guidance to help new authorities meet their FOI duties. Find out how bodies are brought under FOI.

Designation under FOI law means that authorities must comply with the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations (EIRs) when they receive a request for environmental information, and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act for all other information.

If someone asks an authority to give them their own personal information, this request must be responded to under data protection law, not FOI. Data protection law is overseen and enforced by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).