Event Summary

Holyrood Insight’s new Freedom of Information (FOI) Scotland Conference will take place in Edinburgh on Wednesday 24th February 2027. Scotland’s FOI regime is under unprecedented pressure. Public bodies received a record 111,241 FOI requests in 2025-26, while appeals to the Scottish Information Commissioner almost doubled from 593 to 1,084.

We will help you understand what record demand means in practice for your organisation, covering the Scottish Ministers’ Code of Practice on the discharge of functions under FOI law, published in March 2026, and what it means for governance, resourcing and records management. It will also address the growing use of artificial intelligence to generate FOI requests, which public bodies report is adding to volume and complexity, and how to respond when AI tools suggest broader requests than requesters actually need.

Practical sessions will focus on training staff to recognise an FOI request, meeting the 20-working day timescale, and handling reviews and appeals. You will learn how to build robust logging, tracking and monitoring arrangements, and ensure records can be located and retrieved quickly. We will also address proactive publication, advice and assistance duties, and consulting third parties.

Delegates will also look ahead to the potential extension of FOISA to private and third-sector care providers, following publication of the consultation analysis in July 2026. We will explore what it could mean for transparency, cost and capacity, the support providers would need, and how to balance openness with privacy, safeguarding and the rights of children and young people.

Join colleagues from FOI, information governance, records management, data protection and legal teams across central government, local authorities, the NHS, police, universities and housing to share best practice, hear case studies and prepare for what comes next for FOI in Scotland.

Don’t miss this opportunity to benchmark your approach against your peers, strengthen your compliance and build a transparent, resilient FOI service ready for the demands of the year ahead.

Key Points

  • Responding to record FOI demand and the near-doubling of appeals to the Scottish Information Commissioner
  • Applying the Scottish Ministers’ Code of Practice to strengthen FOI governance and compliance
  • Managing the impact of AI-generated requests on volume, complexity and scope
  • Training staff to recognise FOI requests and building robust logging, tracking and monitoring
  • Improving records management to locate and retrieve information within the 20 working day timescale
  • Preparing for the potential extension of FOISA to private and third-sector care providers
  • Balancing transparency with privacy, safeguarding and children’s rights
  • Learning from best practice and case studies across Scottish public bodies

Venue

In-person – This conference will take place at the COSLA Conference Centre, 9 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh EH12 5BH. Attend this full-day event in person to network, build relationships and learn from your peers.

Sponsorship

Interested in sponsoring this event? Click here for sponsorship opportunities.