By Professor John Robertson
Without, of course, telling us jus how many FoI requests they’ve put in to try and dredge up some dirt on the SNP and ferries, the Herald has been moaning about not getting an answer.
The TuS quick twitterpoll above suggests that few agree with them.
Here are some likely reasons:
From a Freedom of Information request published in April 2024 by the Scottish Government, we can see a major, 42%, surge in the number of such requests responded to:
2020 – 3121
2021 – 4160
2022 – 4131
2023 – 4454
How much do these cost on average?
From University College, London, in 2010:
I’m not clear, nor are the authors, as to why the estimates vary so dramatically, especially when the average cost in time is estimated at 7hrs 22min, but let’s accept the Scottish figure.
Adjusted for inflation, the Scottish figure for 2023 is £328.86.
So, in 2023, £1.4 million of public funds and 32 514 hours of staff time (20 FT staff?) were used to meet these requests, up from £1 million in 2020.
Who is making these requests? I can find no data on this and previous attempts by me to find out have come up against data protection laws. However, judging by their appearance in the MSM, the opposition parties and BBC Scotland are making regular trawling requests in the hope of bad news for the Scottish Government.
Sources:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400397701
Click to access cost-of-foi.pdf
https://iamkate.com/data/uk-inflation
Comments below the poll offer further enlightenment for the churnos:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I have thought for quite a while now that FOI requests should have at least a nominal fee attached to them…..yes I know that the opposition parties ( basically both Tory) would say that the Scottish Government are not being open and transparent…..but a nominal fee added up over a year would cost the unionists including their media a large expense, which I reckon would cut them by at least a half and obviously reduce the “school playground” requests. I AM all for transparency in government and they should answer to the people who vote them in and pay their salaries but childish FOI’s for political gain does not serve anyone well. When you buy a house we all have to pay for a home report, mining searches etc…also we pay for PVG so why not FOI’s? The media are making money out of these requests therefore if they are for business gain then pay for them!!! Maybe it’s just me………..as I said earlier I am for freedom of press and transparency but enough is enough…..the Scottish public can’t afford them anymore, this money could be used more constructively, upgrading another part of the A9, constructing affordable housing, helping to get more kids out of the unionist made poverty trap, the Tory/Labour alliance and their media should be ashamed of themselves!!!
JB
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“the Scottish public can’t afford them anymore”
Precisely. We the people paying to be fed lies spun by unionist organs.
No more of it!
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Aside the volume issue, I suspect one of the prime drivers for FOIs for political parties and the media is the implication of being hidden, cachet in it’s literal sense, even when the information is already in the public domain – It would not in the least surprise me if they know the details already, but need to flash “FOI” to imply otherwise.
Given that parties and media employ their own researchers, is it too much to suggest they should be charged full whack to have it done for them, and not be refundable on expenses.
It’s not as if they are Joe Public miles away up in the boonies…
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34 ferries. 6 on order. 70,000 islanders. One ferry for 2,000. Better than some bus services. Plus subsidised flights.
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