Call for council clarity on budget

Published on 02/01/2013 09:00

THE opposition leader on Fife Council is challenging the authority on a decision he says has been made not to publish any further information on its budget.

Councillor Peter Grant says he has previously used the Freedom of Information Act in an attempt to give Fife’s residents the right to see full details of any of the council’s suggested cuts and the alternatives that might be available.

He claims that request has now been refused in its entirety.

Cllr Grant has asked for an internal review of this decision, the last stage before referring it to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

He said: “I’ve always accepted that some of the information would be exempt from publication but the council is claiming none of it can be published without damaging the public interest.

“Bizarrely, it is even saying this applies to information it has already published elsewhere.”

The SNP group leader on the council added: “The council’s response makes it look like it was just looking for any excuse to keep this important information under wraps.

“I’ve got no legal qualifications and it only took me a few seconds to find fundamental flaws in the council’s response.

“I’ve therefore exercised my right as a citizen to ask it to think again.”

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Call for council clarity on budget

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