Information right must cover all services

Increasing charges for Freedom of Information would undermine the accountability the Act has brought, the STUC was told.

The STUC will now challenge any government review that increases charges. UNISON Scotland took it a step further by demanding that all public service providers should be included.

UNISON's Mags Dunbar said, "We were assured by governments that public services provided from outside local authorities would be included but as yet they have not.

"No private contractor, community and voluntary organisation, or indeed even some quasi public bodies like housing associations, are covered by the law.

"We don't believe this is good enough. Being open and transparent shouldn't only cover the public sector itself, it should be part of the contract".

Mags won one of the warmest receptions of the congress, fighting on through her speech with the unforgettable line "Just talk among yourselves till I adjust my denture". A true professional!

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