Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee 06 November 2025
Yes, the bill is certainly a step towards modernisation. Even within the past 20 years, technology has moved on quite rapidly, so having additional requirements for proactive publication and moving away from the original publication schemes are definitely welcome steps.
I do not think that the bill will necessarily address all issues, because, of course, we can never anticipate all the information that somebody will want to request. We must be careful that we do not overestimate what will be done, but I definitely think that reform is necessary in that area.
I also think that the bill will strengthen our international reputation. When we compare our legislation with that of our closest neighbour—that is, the 2000 act—we can already see some evidence of differences between the two acts that have perhaps put Scotland a little bit further forward. I am thinking, for example, of the requirement in relation to commercial exemptions to show that disclosing information would result in substantial harm rather than just harm or prejudice. There are already some differences in that respect, and I think that the bill would perhaps make the position even stronger.