Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 [“FoISA”] was extended to include registered social landlords on 11 November 2019. This legislation gives people the right to request information from Scottish public authorities to understand how they work, how they make decisions and how they spend their money.
The legislation applies specifically to the supply of information to the Scottish Housing Regulator in relation to Link’s “financial well-being and governance arrangements” and “housing services” as defined in section 165 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010. “Housing services” for the purposes of the application of FoISA to Link are defined as:
• Prevention and alleviation of homelessness
• The management of housing accommodation let under a Scottish secure tenancy or short Scottish secure tenancy
• The provision of management of sites for gypsies and travellers, whatever their race or origin
Some activities which are carried out by RSLs are not included in the scope of the legislation, these activities are:
• Care
• Mid-market rent
• Factoring
• Shared Ownership
Guidance for AI-generated FoI requests
We understand that some customers are starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help draft requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs). AI can be a useful way to get started, but it’s important to use it carefully so your request is as effective as possible.
A few things to keep in mind
AI tools don’t know the detail behind your enquiry or how our services operate. They generate responses based on patterns, which means they can sometimes:
- Suggest very broad or unfocused requests
- Include wording that is unclear or not relevant to what you’re looking for
- Create requests that cover more information than you intended
Our aim is to provide you with the information you need as quickly as we can. A clear and specific request helps us do this. If a request is very large or unclear, we may need to:
- Ask you to refine or narrow your request
- Spend additional time identifying relevant information
- Apply provisions in the legislation, such as cost limits or exceptions, where appropriate
If you use AI to help prepare your request, it’s helpful to be aware of a few potential risks:
- Accuracy: AI may include incorrect assumptions about what information is held
- Clarity: Requests may be drafted in a way that is harder to interpret
- Scope: AI can unintentionally create very large or complex requests
- Privacy and security: Information you enter into public AI tools may not be fully secure
How to get the best from AI
If you decide to use AI, a few simple steps can help:
- Review and edit the request before sending it
- Make sure it clearly explains what information you want and why
- Try to keep your request focused and manageable
- Avoid sharing sensitive personal information in AI tools unless you are confident the service is secure
We’re here to help
You don’t need to use AI to make an information request. If you’re unsure how to word your request or what to ask for, you can contact us directly. We’re happy to help you shape your request, so you get the information you need as quickly and clearly as possible.