Seòmar agus comataidhean

Our next agenda item is an evidence session with the Scottish Information Commissioner. I welcome the commissioner, David Hamilton. David is joined by Euan McCulloch and Claire Stephen. First, I congratulate you on your appointment, David. This is your first battle—meeting—with the committee. The principal purpose of our session today is to talk about the annual report. I hand over to you for some introductory comments.

So, rather than a new strategic plan, it will be more of a one-year analysis of where we are, but also a three-year forward-looking analysis of where you would like to get to.

Your oldest case is from June 2022. Is that an outlier? What is your second-oldest case?

That is helpful. Thank you.

It might even be before that.

You made one level 4 intervention in relation to a council, but that has now been completed and closed. Have you been able to review the level 4 intervention process so that there will be best practice in the future?

All right. Stephen, do you want to come in?

Yes—the question is whether there should or should not be such a post.

Thank you, David. Before I leap in, I put on record my and the committee’s thanks to your predecessor, Daren Fitzhenry, who was the principal author of the annual report. It is interesting that, in his opening remarks in the annual report, he commented:

“It has been a privilege as well as a pleasure to be at the helm over the past six years, and particularly to work with such an excellent team.”

The team obviously has its commissioners very well trained, but that reflects your role as the head of a team, so I thank Daren for the help and assistance that he gave to the committee, his openness towards us and, more importantly, his role as Scottish Information Commissioner over the previous period.

David, you set out your reflections on your first few weeks in the role. We will obviously explore your view of where freedom of information is in Scotland. It is based on a platform that is in a good place, but we seek improvement. You mentioned your four-year strategic plan, which is due to be laid this year, but you also mentioned revisiting it next year. Do you intend to extend it beyond 2028 to 2029, or will you consider a three-year plan once you have a better understanding of the situation and have had the opportunity to input your priorities?

That is helpful—thank you. I am now going to throw you at the mercy of the committee.

It would be helpful to address—I will add the word “carefully”—the intervention with regard to the Scottish Government. I am aware that you sent a letter on 7 February, in which you sought additional information. We are still within the period for that information to be provided—I think that it expires next Thursday or Friday. At this stage, you do not have the relevant information. Have you received any confirmation that the information can be provided by your requested date, or are you worried that it might not appear?