Short Summary
The public know about MPs expenses, hygiene failures by restaurants and thousands of other issues thanks to Freedom of Information (FoI). People and communities are better informed about big issues in their lives and government is more open and accountable. However FoI is under attack: less information is accessible as bodies not covered by FoI laws are increasingly delivering public services in Scotland, and new restrictions to the UK
FoI Act are being considered. We need to react to these threats, and campaign for FoI rights to be extended to more organisations. For example at least 15,000 council house tenants have lost their FoI rights when their homes moved over to housing association management in Scotland. We need your donations to fund our 4 month campaign to save and extend our FoI rights on devolved and reserved issues across Scotland.
What We Need & What You Get
Our campaign will target current government initiatives which fail to protect and extend our FoI rights in Scotland. Our 4 point strategy will:
1.Campaign for FoI law to be extended to cover
all public services and those of a public nature in Scotland. 2.Raise awareness of the UK and Scottish Government FoI consultations with
the public and key organisations to highlight their impact. 3. Persuade the Scottish Government to
extend the scope of Scotland's FoI Act beyond its current limited proposals eg brief MSPs on a more substantial
approach and encourage them to raise their concerns in the Scottish Parliament.·
4.Draft a response
to the consultations highlighting where they fall short, setting out how FoI
law in Scotland should operate, and encourage key organisations and individuals to endorse them.
The Impact
Your contribution will enable our campaign to be launched and delivered. We expect to demonstrate to the Scottish and UK governments just how unpopular their failure to expand FoI rights actually is.
Risks & Challenges
We have over 31 years of experience on FoI rights and we have learned about practice in other countries. We know that more transparency delivers better and more accountable government. The challenge is to get people involved in these consultations to ensure politicians understand that FoI rights matter to us all.