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Your Rights

Your Rights

You have a right to get information from Scottish public bodies.

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 give you the right to ask for and be given information from a wide range of public organisations in Scotland.

Animated guide - What is FOI?

Getting information

You can use your rights to ask for all sorts of information, for example:

  • Why decisions affecting local services have been made, such as a decision to cut some services at your local hospital, or to combine nearby schools
  • How authorities decide which roads to repair, or who should receive funding

Or you may want to find out about:

  • The contract under which a private company is providing a service for a Scottish public authority, such as a care home service, or details of any agreed standards that the service must meet.
  • Studies carried out before decisions are taken, for instance on the safety of vaccines or medicines.

Your Right to Know - A Guide to FOI

You can download a copy of our guide to your rights below. Or, if you'd prefer, contact us to ask for a printed copy.

Download:

Your Right to Know (BSL) - Introduction

Your Right to Know (BSL) - What is FOI?