Access to information

To increase openness and accountability in government and across the public sector, everyone has a legal right of access to information held by a Scottish public authority.

The council receives almost 1,000 FOI requests each year and many of these are of wider public interest. To increase openness and accountability We publish details of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and responses.The council also regularly publishes business rates reports which are available to download.;

Search Freedom of Information (FOI) Database

Information about you

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, every individual is entitled to access his or her own personal data. This is known as a "Subject Access Request".

If you wish to make a "Subject Access Request", please contact us via the details on this page, or by email to sar@eastlothian.gov.uk.

When writing, please provide as much detail as possible about the information you are looking for. It may be necessary for us to contact you again if the information you provide is not detailed enough. Proof of identity may also be required before any information is released.

We are required to comply within 1 month of receiving your request although we will aim to respond as soon as possible.

Due to the often high volumes of data and the costs of printing, copying and posting, data will be released electronically by email wherever possible. We take responsibilities under data protection very seriously and data released in this way will be encrypted.

If you need help making any type of information request, please contact us via the details on this page and we will do our best to advise you.

Other information requests

All other information requests that can't be answered immediately are dealt with under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Requests for this type of information must be made in writing or another permanent format (for example audio or video tape), contact us via the details on this page.

In most cases, you will be provided with the requested information within 20 working days. In certain circumstances information may be withheld because it is exempt under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. If East Lothian Council believes that information is exempt we must justify why. Most of the exemptions are subject to a "public interest test". This means that if there is significant public interest in releasing the information then it will have to be released.

If we can't give you the information

If we can't give you the information, we will write to you. If you disagree with this or are unhappy with how we have dealt with your request, you can ask us to review the decision.

If you then do not agree with the outcome of the review, you can appeal to the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Scottish Information Commissioner

The Scottish Information Commissioner is responsible for enforcing Scotland’s Freedom of Information laws. Further details can be found on the Commissioner’s website.