Changes to Scotland’s freedom of information (FoI) law which were narrowly agreed by Holyrood for the coronavirus crisis, have been condemned as “dismal” and “draconian” by campaigners.
Deadlines for public agencies to respond to FoI requests from the public have been extended from 20 to 60 working days. In some circumstances the Scottish Government can extend deadlines for agencies other than itself for another 40 working days.
This means that requesters could have to wait up to five months for an initial response, and then a further five months for the outcome of a review. That wait is five times longer than under previous FoI law.
New Scotland 