Scotland may widen FoI to suppliers

The country is asking for views about which organisations the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act should affect. The 2002 act currently applies only to data held by Scotland's 10,000 public sector organisations. Under the proposals its scope could be extended to cover the data of contractors who build or maintain schools, hospitals and roads; private prison operators; leisure, sport and cultural trusts set up by local authorities; and the Glasgow Housing Association. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland could also be affected. Although its members are all public servants and it receives public funding, it is not covered by the current legislation. Minister for parliamentary business Bruce Crawford said: "At this stage the Scottish Government has not reached firm conclusions on which bodies it might be appropriate to extend coverage to. "Creating additional regulatory or financial requirements must be appropriate and proportionate, especially given the global economic downturn which has put some sectors of the economy under particular strain. "A key part of the consultation will be our examination of any possible costs associated with any extension of coverage. The Government is committed to increasing sustainable economic growth and will only introduce legislation that is measured and proportionate." The consultation process will run for 14 weeks, from 28 July until 2 November 2010.