Making A Request
If you wish to make a request to the Scotland Office under Freedom of Information, it must be done in writing. You can send you requests to;
The Scotland Office
Dover House
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AU
email: somincorr@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
You must state clearly what information you require, state the name of the applicant and provide an address for correspondence.
We will write back to you acknowledge your request. We will respond to your request within 20 working days. If it is not possible to respond within 20 working days, we will indicate a date when we will respond.
In most instances our reply will confirm or deny whether or not we hold the information, and either provide the information you requested, or explain why it has not been provided, quoting an exemption under the Act.
Please note that requests under FOI legislation that concern information that is held on the pre-devolution files of the old Scottish Office involve a more complicated assessment as to whether the UK or Scottish FOI Acts are applicable. This can result in correspondents being asked to re-direct their requests from the Scotland Office to the Scottish Executive or vice versa.
In most instances information held on pre-devolution files is subject to the Scottish Act. Consequently, the majority of requests will be handled by the Scottish Executive.
A request for information may be refused by a public authority if it meets the criteria of an exemption as set out in the Act. If your request is refused, we will identify the relevant exemptions and explain our reasoning behind their application. Additionally, we will provide details of how to apply for an internal review of the decision to withold information.
If, after an internal review, you remain dissatisfied with our handling of your request, you may ask The Information Commissioner to review our decision.
For more information, see the DCA pages on Freedom of Information at http://www.foi.gov.uk/faqs.htm