Guide to Information
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a publication scheme. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:
- publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
- tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost.
The Ethical Standards Commissioner (the Commissioner) has adopted the Model Publication Scheme produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner.
If you would like a copy of the Model Publication Scheme or this Guide in an alternative format, please contact us at info@ethicalstandards.org.uk or on 0131 347 3890.
The purpose of the Guide to Information is to:
- allow the public to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class
- state what charges may be applies
- explain how to find the information easily
- provide contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information
- explain how to request information we hold that has not been published.
Availability and formats
The information we publish through this scheme is, wherever possible, available on our website. We offer alternative arrangements for people who do not want to, or cannot, access the information online. For example, we can usually arrange to send information to you in paper copy (although there may be a charge for this – see Charges below).
Exempt information
We will publish the information we hold that falls within the classes of information below. If a document contains information that is exempt under Scotland’s freedom of information laws (for example sensitive personal information or a trade secret), we will remove or ‘black out’ the information before publication and explain why.
Copyright
Where the Commissioner holds the copyright in its published information, the information may be coped or reproduced without formal permission, provided that:
- it is copied or reproduced accurately
- it is not used in a misleading context, and
- the source of the material is identified
Where the Commissioner does not hold the copyright in information we publish, we will make this clear.
Charges
This section explains when we may make a charge for our publications and how any charge will be calculated.
There is no charge to view information on our website or to provide you with electronic copies.
We may charge for preparing and providing information to you, but we will charge you no more than it actually costs us to do so. We will always tell you what the cost is before providing the information to you.
Our photocopying charge per side of paper is 10 pence for A4 black and white and 20 pence for A4 colour.
Postage costs will be recharged at the rate we paid to send the information to you. Our charge is for sending information by Royal Mail First Class.
When providing copies of pre-printed publications, we will charge no more than the cost per copy, pro rata, of the total print run.
We do not pass on any other costs to you in relation to our published information.
Please note that this charging schedule does not apply to any commercial publications (see Class 8 below). These items may be offered for sale through retail outlets such as book shops, academic journal websites or museum shops and their price will reflect a ‘market value’ which may include the cost of production.
Contact us
You can contact us for assistance with any aspect of this guide:
Ethical Standards Commissioner
Thistle House
91 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5HE
E: info@ethicalstandards.org.uk
T: 0131 347 3890
We will also advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish or how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of this guide. If you wish to make a request for information not contained in this guide, please contact us using the details above.
BSL users can contact us using the Contact Scotland BSL service.
The classes of information that we publish
We publish information that we hold within the following classes. Once information is published under a class, we will continue to make it available for at least the current and previous two financial years.
Where information has been updated or superseded, only the current version will be available. If you would like to see previous versions, you may make a request to us for that information.
Class 1: About us Toggle accordion
Information about us, who we are, where to find us, how to contact us, how we are managed and our external relations.
The information we publish under this class:
- Contact details
- Organisational structure giving names and duties
- Commissioner's role
- Commissioner's biography
- Senior Management team
- Public Appointments Advisers
- Summary of our founding legislation and details of previous Commissioners
Our founding legislation:
Legislation underpinning our work:
Class 2: How we Deliver our Functions and Services Toggle accordion
Information about our work, our strategy and policies for delivering our statutory functions and information for people who use our services.
The information we publish under this class:
- Revised Strategic Plan 2024-2028
- Biennial business plans - please filter by 'Corporate Plans'
- Progress against Biennial business plans - please filter by 'Corporate Plans'
- How we scrutinise public appointments
- The Commissioner's role in public appointments - leaflet
- Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland
- Guidance on the 2022 Code of Practice
- Which appointments are regulated by the Commissioner?
- How to complain about a public appointment
- How to complain about a public appointment - leaflet
- Information about applying for a public appointment
- What is a conflict of interest when applying for a public appointment - leaflet
- Audit of the public appointments process - please filter by 'Audit of appointment rounds'
- Our findings following investigation of a public appointment(s) - please filter by 'Appointment complaints and investigations' - please note, only investigations and complaints concluded under the current code and from the last two years of the previous code are available
- Case studies of good practice in public appointments
- Diversity Delivers the first equality and diversity strategy for Scotland's ministerial public appointments process
- Findings from a survey of applicants for public appointments by year - please filter by 'Applicant surveys'
- Diversity Delivers implementation and improving the diversity of applicants and appointees
- The Commissioner's role in relation to complaints about the conduct of local authority councillors and board members of public bodies
- The Commissioner's role in relation to complaints about the conduct of MSPs
- The Commissioner's role in relation to complaints about lobbyists
- Our policy explaining how witnesses and the information they provide will be treated
- The Commissioner's decisions - breaches of the Code of conduct by local authority councillors and board members of public bodies
- Code of Conduct for MSPs
- Code of Conduct for Councillors
- Model Code of Conduct for Public Bodies
- How to make a complaint
- Make a complaint - online form
- Investigations Manual
- How we investigate complaints about the conduct of MSPs
- How we investigate complaints about the conduct of Councillors and board members of public bodies
- How we investigate complaints about how lobbyists are registered
- How we investigate complaints about a public appointment
- How we investigate complaints about us
- How to make a Freedom of Information request and how we handle information requests
- Freedom of Information Policy and Procedures
- Model FOI Publication Scheme
- Guide to information we publish
- Commissioner's responses to consultations - Available on request
- Website Accessibility Policy - describes how we try to make our services accessible to as wide a range of people as possible
- Privacy Policy - explains what personal data we gather and why and describes the rights people have in relation to that information
Class 3: How we take decisions and what we have decided Toggle accordion
Information about the decisions we take, how we make decisions and how we involve others.
The information we publish under this class:
- Standing Orders
- Scheme of Delegation
- Minutes of Management Team Meetings - please filter by 'Meeting minutes' and 'Corporate'
- Code of Conduct for the Commissioner and their staff
- Consultations issued by us about our work will be published on our website
- Procedures for laying documents before the Scottish Parliament
Class 4: What we spend and how we spend it Toggle accordion
Information about our strategy for, and management of, financial resources (in sufficient detail to explain how we plan to spend public money and what has actually been spent).
The information we publish under this class:
- Annual Accounts
- External auditors' reports - please filter by 'Annual report and accounts'
- Information published under sections 31 and 32 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 - please filter by 'Annual report and accounts'
- Out of pocket expenses policy
- Current tenders for goods and services
Class 5: How we manage our human, physical and information resources Toggle accordion
Information about how we manage our human, physical and information resources.
The information we publish under this class:
- Business Continuity Plan
- Data Protection Policy
- Data Protection Procedures
- Risk Management Policy
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
- Confidentiality Policy
- Declaration of Interests/Gifts & Hospitality Form and Guidance - The Commissioner's Register of Interests and Gifts & Hospitality is available on request
- PAA Charging and Travelling Time Policy
- PAA Records Management Statement
- Guidance on our Performance Management System
- Records Management Policy
- Records Management Policy - Appendix 1 - file-naming
- Records Management Policy - Appendix 2 - managing emails
- Folder Structure and Retention Schedule
- Records Management Plan
- Policy defining unacceptable behaviour
- Witness Policy
- Information Security Policy - available on request
- Anti-bribery Policy
- Anti-fraud Policy
- Fraud Response Plan
- Absence Policy
- Resolution Policy
- Disciplinary Policy
- Display Screen Equipment Policy
- Grading Policy
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Hours of Work and Annual Leave Policy
- Recruitment Policy
- Leaving Policy
- Smoke Free Policy
- Substance Abuse Policy
- Supporting Work-Life Balance Policy
- Whistleblowing/Public-Interest Disclosure Policy
- Confidentiality Policy
- Domestic Abuse Policy
- Period and Menopause Policy
- Remote Working Policy
- Training Policy
- Work life Balance Policy
- Current recruitment opportunities
Class 6: How we procure goods and services from external providers Toggle accordion
Information about how we procure goods and services, and our contracts with external providers.
The information we publish under this class:
- Invitations to tender
- Results of tender will be published on www.ethicalstandards.org.uk
Class 7: How we are performing Toggle accordion
Information about how we perform as an organisation and how well we fulfil our statutory functions.
The information we publish under this class:
Class 8: Our Commercial Publications Toggle accordion
Information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis and sold at market value through a retail outlet e.g. bookshop, museum or research journal.
We do not publish any information under this class.
Class 9: Our open data Toggle accordion
Open data made available by us as described by the Scottish Government's Open Data Resource Pack and available under an open licence.
We do not publish any information under this class.