Conservative transparency revolution extended

Conservative amendments to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill will take effect from October 1st 2010.

From 1st October most public bodies in Scotland will be covered by new legislation requiring them to publish details of how much they spend on overseas travel, entertaining, public relations and consultancy services. There will be no minimum level, so all spending will have to be disclosed.

The provisions were inserted by the Scottish Conservatives at Stage 2 of the Public Service Reform Bill proceedings, and subsequently accepted by the Scottish Government. These measures are in addition to the requirement - accepted by the SNP Government as part of the terms for Scottish Conservative support of the Budget earlier this year - for all central Government spending over £25,000 to be published monthly.

Derek Brownlee MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth, said:

"In the past, it has taken speculative requests under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain this information, and very often it has had to be dragged out of public bodies. Now quangos and Government will have no hiding place - they will have to publish all their spending on entertaining, PR, consultancy and overseas travel. That should make those who run these organisations think twice before spending taxpayers' money. If it hadn't been for the Scottish Conservatives, these new rules would not be entering into force. We are determined to keep pushing for better value for money for taxpayers."

Public Bodies covered by the provisions include:

SCHEDULE 8 Information on exercise of public functions: listed public bodies
(introduced by section 35)
• The Scottish Ministers
• Accountant in Bankruptcy
• Accounts Commission for Scotland
• Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland
• Architecture and Design Scotland
• Audit Scotland
• Board of Trustees for the National Galleries of Scotland
• Board of Trustees of the National Museums of Scotland
• Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
• Bòrd na Gàidhlig
• Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd
• Chief Investigating Officer established by section 9(1) of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 (asp 7)
• any Children's Panel
• any Children's Panel Advisory Committee
• Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland
• Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland
• Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service
• Creative Scotland
• Crofters Commission
• David MacBrayne Ltd
• Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland
• Forestry Commissioners
• General Teaching Council for Scotland
• any Health Board
• Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary
• Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Authorities
• Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland
• Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland
• Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland
• any Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee
• Keeper of the Records of Scotland
• Keeper of the Registers of Scotland
• Lands Tribunal for Scotland
• Learning and Teaching Scotland
• Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland
• Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
• Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland
• Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
• Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland
• Moredun Research Institute
• any National Park authority
• Parole Board for Scotland
• Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland
• any Private Rented Housing Committee
• Private Rented Housing Panel
• Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland
• Quality Meat Scotland
• Queen's Printer for Scotland
• any regional Transport Partnership
• Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages for Scotland
• Risk Management Authority
• Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
• Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards
• Scottish Agricultural College
• Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
• Scottish Charity Appeals Panel
• Scottish Charity Regulator
• Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
• Scottish Commission for Human Rights
• Scottish Court Service
• Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
• Scottish Crop Research Institute
• Scottish Enterprise
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council
• Scottish Futures Trust Ltd
• Scottish Housing Regulator
• Scottish Information Commissioner
• Scottish Law Commission
• Scottish Legal Aid Board
• Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
• Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee
• Scottish Natural Heritage
• Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner
• Scottish Police Services Authority
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
• Scottish Qualifications Authority
• Scottish Road Works Commissioner
• Scottish Social Services Council
• Scottish Sports Council
• Scottish Water
• Skills Development Scotland Co. Ltd
• Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland
• any Special Health Board
• Standards Commission for Scotland
• The Trustees of the National Library of Scotland
• Visiting Committees (appointed under section 19(3) of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 (c. 45) or constituted by rules made under section 39 (as read with section 8(1)) of that Act
• VisitScotland
• Water Industry Commission for Scotland

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