Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Free seminar: Access to information? … There’s a website for that!

The Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, is chairing a free seminar at the Festival of Politics in Edinburgh on 26th August. Titled “Access to information? … There’s a website for that!”, the event will cover how new media make it easier for people to ask for information, and how they have led to the creation of new kinds of information using government data.

Attendees will hear from local Edinburgh man, Michael Traill, who became interested in FOI when asking Lothian and Borders police for information some years ago, and now regularly makes FOI requests online. There will also be live demonstrations of websites which take raw government data and use it to provide new and useful services for the public.

The event will round up with a chance to discuss the issues raised with a panel including the Commissioner and speakers, chaired by Kirstie Shirra, a freelance campaigner who started out on her career as Scotland's only full time FOI lobbyist, when she was at Friends of the Earth Scotland.

To book a free place visit www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk or call 0131 473 2000.

Friday 26 August 2011, 13:30 to 14:30, in Committee Room 3, The Scottish Parliament

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