Freedom of Information
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs)
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) places a duty on Scottish public authorities to make available any information that it holds. Anyone can exercise this right, and information can only be withheld where exempt under the FOISA.
Alongside FOISA, the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (the EIRs) provide a separate right of access to the environmental information that the Assessor for The Highland & Western Isles Valuation Joint Board and The Highland & Western Isles Valuation Joint Board hold.
The Scottish Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme
Section 23 of FOISA requires all Scottish public authorities to adopt and maintain a publication scheme which relates to the publication of information held by the Assessor for The Highland & Western Isles Valuation Joint Board and The Highland & Western Isles Valuation Joint Board that has the approval of the Scottish Information Commissioner.
FOISA also allows for the development of model publication schemes which can be adopted by more than one authority. It is under this provision that the Scottish Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme 2013 was developed. Both the Assessor for The Highland & Western Isles Valuation Joint Board and The Highland & Western Isles Valuation Joint Board adopted the Model Publication Scheme which was approved in November 2017 with annual updates.
The information we publish through the model publication scheme is, wherever possible, available on our website. The scheme also provides details of how you can access this information, and tells you whether it is available free, or if there is a charge for the information.
Model Publication Scheme Guidance 2017
The Scottish Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme
