ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Freedom of information policies

This section of our website enables you to view:

• Freedom of Information policy for external stakeholders - shown below
• You can also read our leaflet Access to Information
• Freedom of information guidance for staff
• Information on Publication Scheme development

These materials are in draft and will be updated during 2005. They are available in printed format. If you wish to request these or have any queries, please contact us.

SCOTTISH LEGAL AID BOARD

FREEDON OF INFORMATION STATEMENT OF POLICY

The Board is committed to the principles of openness transparency in our operations and communications. We fully endorse and will comply with the principles set out in The Freedom of Information ( Scotland) Act 2002.

The Board will:

• provide help and guidance to applicants and potential applicants where required

• only withhold information where an exemption can be applied

Timescales

The Board will deal with all requests for information promptly and, in any event, within 20 working days of receipt.

Where a request is received by the Board outside normal opening hours, i.e. after 5.00 pm, it will be deemed to have been received the following working day.

Fees

Background

The Freedom of Information ( Scotland) Act 2002 (“the Act”) allows public bodies in certain circumstances to make a charge for the cost of providing information under the Act. The Act sets up a mechanism for allowing public bodies to estimate the costs of providing information. The Freedom of Information (Fees for Required Disclosure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and The Freedom of Information (Fees for disclosure under Section 13) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (“t he Regulations”) then set out the costs to be estimated and the manner in which those costs are to be estimated.

Board’s policy

The Board’s general position with regard to fees is that it will charge the fees allowable in accordance with the Act and the Regulations. However, the Board reserves the right to waive some or all of such fees in cases where it believes that payment of the fees would cause hardship to the party requesting the information. In any event, the Board will not charge a fee where such fee would fall below £10.

Reviews

The Board will deal with all requests for reviews promptly and, in any event, within 20 working days of receipt.

Where possible all reviews will be considered by a member of the Board’s Executive Team not involved in the decision from which the request for review arises.