Transparency

On this page

How we make information available

Being open about how we operate is an important part of public accountability.

The Scottish Land Commission promotes openness by default, whether by driving transparency, or by inviting scrutiny. We will create opportunities for stakeholders to ask and challenge us, and we will listen to them.

We will promote publication of information wherever appropriate about our performance, operations, decisions and spending wherever it is appropriate to do so in the public interest.

On this page you can find information about our finances, our spending, how we safeguard your data, and how we meet our responsibilities under Freedom of Information (FOI) and environmental legislation.

Financial management

We publish our audited annual accounts each year. These describe how we are funded, how we spend public money, and how we manage our resources.

Under Section 31 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, we are required to publish details of:

all relevant expenditure over £25,000 (inclusive of VAT)
all payments made in relation to public relations or media
payments for hospitality and entertainment
senior staff numbers and remuneration
payments to external suppliers for goods and services

We update this information each year.

Financial year 2024-25

Public Relations – £72,962.16
Overseas Travel – £0
Hospitality and Entertainment – £0
External Consultancy – £67,401.63 (Research projects and partnership working for delivering programme of work)
Individual Payments over £25,000 – Nil

Freedom of information

The Scottish Land Commission is a public authority under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

You have the right to:

request recorded information we hold
receive a response within 20 working days
request a review if you are not satisfied with our response

You can read our FOI policy here.

Making an FOI request

Timescales
- We will respond within 20 working days.
- If your request was sent by post, please allow additional time for delivery.
- If we need more time, we will let you know as soon as possible.
- Please include as much detail as possible so we can identify the information you need.
Costs and fees
We normally provide information free of charge.
However:
if the request would impose an unreasonable or significant burden, we may charge a fee
- we will tell you in advance if a fee is due
- we will only release the information once payment is received
- if the estimated cost exceeds £600, we may refuse the request
Requesting a review

If you are unhappy with our response, you may ask for an internal review within 40 working days of receiving it (or within 40 days of the response deadline if you did not receive a reply). We will respond to your review request within 20 working days.
If you remain dissatisfied, you can appeal free of charge to the Scottish Information Commissioner within six months of receiving our review decision. Details are available at Homepage | Scottish Information Commissioner

Environmental Information Requests

The Environmental Information (Scotland) Act 2004 gives you the right to access information about the environment unless an exemption applies.

How to make a request

You can make a request in writing or verbally. You don’t need to explain why you want the information, though it may help us to respond more effectively.
We normally don’t charge for environmental information, but if a request is particularly large or complex, we may apply a fee. You’ll be told in advance if this applies.
Response times

We will respond within 20 working days, or up to 40 working days if the request is complex or involves a large volume of information.
If you’re unhappy with the response

You can ask for a review within 40 working days. If you’re still not satisfied, you can appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner.
More information: Homepage | Scottish Information Commissioner

Data protection and your rights

We handle personal data in line with data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You have the right to know what personal information we hold about you and how we use it.

You can read our Data Protection Policy here.

How to make a request

Requests must be made in writing and include proof of identity (such as a copy of your passport, driving licence or birth certificate - please don’t send originals).
Send your request to:
Email: info@landcommission.gov.scot
Post: Scottish Land Commission, An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA
To help us respond as quickly as possible, please provide specific details about the information you are requesting such as the relevant date range.
We’ll respond within one calendar month of receiving your request.
There’s normally no fee, but we may charge an administration cost for excessive or repeated requests.
If you’re unhappy with how your data has been handled

You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner’s Office – Scotland
6th Floor, Quartermile One, 15 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EP
Telephone: 0303 123 1115
Email: scotland@ico.org.uk
Website: www.ico.org.uk