The use of freedom of information (FOI) requests by Scottish charities is growing, according to figures released by the Scottish information commissioner.

Writing in his annual report for 2010, Kevin Dunion (pictured) revealed that requests to his office from the voluntary sector for advice on FOIs grew by 62 per cent on the previous year.

The findings come in the wake of Dunion’s previously expressed concerns that the sector was failing to make effective use of its right to information, and research by the University of Strathclyde which found that voluntary organisations were reluctant to make FOI requests for fear of harming working or funding relationships.

Talking about the latest findings, Dunion said: “As public spending cuts take hold, the need to understand the rationale behind public authority decision making, or to gather data to explore the impact on service users, is likely to increase.”

Put into practice

The Commissioner’s report also features video case studies of voluntary organisations which have successfully used FOI requests.

One such is the Learning Disability Alliance Scotland, which gathered data on the plight of people with learning disabilities who are inappropriately housed in care homes for the elderly.

According to Ian Hood, co-ordinator at the charity: “We now know that over 800 people with learning difficulties are being housed in these homes, and a significant proportion of them - some 300 - are under 65.  

“This isn’t just about the age gap though. These homes will normally lack the skills and resources required to meet people’s specific needs.”