Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into effect on 1st January 2005.
For the first time, the people of Scotland have a right, by law, to access information produced by public authorities. The aim of the Act is to increase openness and transparency and to make public bodies more accountable. People are now able to see and question how we function and how our decisions are made.
Detailed information on how to exercise your rights under the Act is available from the Scottish Information Commissioner.
Scotland Excel have a Freedom of Information 'publication scheme' in place, and it is administered by Renfrewshire Council. For further details visit the Renfrewshire Council Freedom of Information web page.
A new, improved version of the scheme was approved by the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner in May 2009. It sets out the types of information that we already make available to the public. It gives details of:
- the information available to you
- the format it's available in
- who to contact to get it
- any fees involved
Before you decide to make a request, please consider if the information you require is already available and whether it falls within the scope of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 or the Data Protection Act 1998. Scotland Excel is supported by Renfrewshire Council and as such Minutes, Reports and other publications are available on the Renfrewshire Council website. Enquiries concerning this information are not dealt in terms of the 2002 Act.
Making a request
Requests for information must be made in writing or in another permanent form like email, video or audio tape. Requests must give a return address for correspondence to be sent to in hard copy or electronic form.
When you make a request, please be as specific as you can about the information you want and give us as much information as you can to help us find what you are looking for. If you need the information in a special format such as large print or a language other than English, please let us know in your application.
If you need information that relates to you as an individual, you should make your request under the Data Protection Act.
We aim to deal with all requests within 20 working days. We may also ask you for more details to further identify the information you have asked for. There are some occasions when information wont be supplied to you - and in these cases, we'll tell you why.
If you are not satisfied with the way your request is dealt with, you can ask us for a formal review of our decision. You can refer any complaint about the way your enquiry is dealt with to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a case review.
If you have any comments or enquiries or want to make a request please use our contact us enquiry form or alternatively write to:
Irene McCulloch
Head of Professional Services
Scotland Excel
Anchor Mill
7 Thread Street
Paisley
PA1 1JR
- Freedom of Information publication scheme
(pdf 753kb)