Campaigners urge MSPs to back stronger freedom of information powers on 20th anniversary of Act

A campaign group has called on MSPs to back its plans to strengthen freedom of information powers north of the border.

The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland has published a draft bill with 21 amendments to the existing act which it said would allow access rights to thrive despite changes to how taxpayer funded services are delivered and how changes in technology alter how records are created and stored.

Sunday marks 20 years since the bill was passed into law at the Scottish Parliament, which gave people the right to access information to thousands of public bodies alongside significant legal consequences if they failed to comply.

Carole Ewart, the campaign’s convener, said: “It is time to celebrate a milestone in the history of FoI in Scotland. The new law has repeatedly proven to bring community benefit.”

Despite being backed by MSPs on April 24 2002, it would be three years until the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FoISA) became effective.

Ms Ewart said: “FoISA’s three principal duties create a legal architecture for designated bodies that is here to stay for public good: proactively publishing information, responding to requests for information, and providing advice and assistance to requesters.

“Culture has changed too but we must be vigilant to ensure rights remain robust.

“Therefore we continue to work to build support for the FoISA amendment bill and achieve prompt legal reform.”

The campaign group said reform would not only strengthen rights to access information, but to also close legal loopholes to ensure the public’s enforceable right to access information is robust.