Scotland’s secrecy
While recognising her problems, it seems to me that the biggest problem is that an act that was introduced by well-meaning politicians with admirable aims has been reduced to a charter for secrecy due to the ingenious get-out clauses identified by public authorities’ expert legal advisers, paid for out of the public purse.
Against these highly paid experts the ordinary person has little chance.
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Hide AdTo give an example: I tried to get a breakdown of the £74,663,957.60 contract awarded in 2008 to Jacobs/Arup Partnership for the “Forth Replacement Crossing Multi Disciplinary Management Consultancy Commission” for reimbursement of man-hours for various grades/disciplines of labour.
After much to-ing and fro-ing with Transport Scotland my dissatisfaction was put to the Information Commissioner for an adjudication and they upheld Transport Scotland’s decision to withhold the rates at which the various grades/disciplines were reimbursed because this information was environmentally sensitive!
Secret Scotland is alive and well.
Tom Minogue
Victoria Terrace
Dunfermline