Holyrood rapped on information trouble

Published on 19/03/2013 00:00

The Scottish Government’s failure to comply with its legal requirement to make information public is a cause for concern, the country’s freedom of information watchdog has said.

Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew criticised ministers for failing to respond to requests from journalists.

One request had gone unanswered for more than four months without explanation; another was “mislaid” for three months.

Ministers failed to comply with their legal requirement to respond in 20 days in both cases.

The ruling in the first case stated: “Given the time which has elapsed since the requirement for review, she [the commissioner] views with some concern the ministers’ inability to confirm compliance, or a projected date for compliance, at the time of this decision.”