Template requests

Pick a template, copy it, replace the parts in [SQUARE BRACKETS] with your own details, and send it by email to the authority. You have a legal right to ask for this information. You do not need to explain why you want it.

Every template follows the rules for making a valid request. If you are not sure which authority to write to, use the Scottish Information Commissioner’s directory. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

Money and spending#

• Council spending on temporary accommodation Breakdown by type (B&B, hotel, hostel, private rental)
• Senior staff pay and expenses Salaries, bonuses, and expenses for top earners
• Consultancy spending Total spend and list of firms used in a period
• Payments to a named supplier Total paid to a specific company
• Legal costs External legal fees for a specific matter or overall
• Severance and redundancy payments Exit packages paid to departing staff
• Corporate credit card spending Transaction-level data on procurement card use
• Settlement agreements Compromise agreements, confidentiality clauses, and costs
• Grants to external organisations Grants paid to third-party bodies and their value
• Procurement contract awards Contracts awarded above a specified value
• Overtime spending Overtime hours and costs by department

Housing#

• Homelessness applications and outcomes Applications received, assessments, and outcomes
• Council housing waiting list Numbers waiting, average wait by property size, allocations
• Council housing repairs Repair reports, response times by priority, backlog
• Empty and void council properties Void properties, how long empty, turnaround times
• Council housing energy efficiency EPC ratings, EESSH compliance, and costs to upgrade
• Anti-social behaviour complaints Complaints received, types, and enforcement action

Education#

• School budgets and per-pupil spending Budget allocation and per-pupil figure for a named school
• School exclusions Exclusions and removals from the register by school, reason, and year
• Teacher numbers and vacancies FTE teachers, vacancies, supply teacher usage
• Additional support needs provision Children with ASN, support provided, unmet requests
• Free school meal uptake Registration and uptake rates by school
• Pupil attendance and absence rates Attendance by school, absence reasons, severely absent pupils
• School building conditions Condition ratings, maintenance backlogs, and survey dates
• Early learning and childcare provision Funded places, uptake by age, and provider capacity

Services and performance#

• Hospital waiting times By specialty and target performance
• GP appointment waiting times How long patients wait, appointment types, DNA rates
• Mental health waiting times Referrals, waits for assessment and treatment
• NHS agency and locum staff spending Spend on agency nurses and locum doctors by specialty
• NHS complaints Complaints received, categories, and outcomes
• Hospital bed occupancy rates Occupancy by ward type and site
• Cancelled operations and procedures Cancellations by the hospital, reasons, and rescheduling
• Healthcare-associated infections Infections by type and site, ward closures
• Care home inspection and complaints Inspections, grades, complaints, and enforcement
• Prescribing costs Cost of prescribing by drug category
• School inspection follow-up Actions taken after an inspection
• Social work caseloads Cases per worker and vacancies
• Complaints about a service Numbers received, upheld, response times
• Road and pothole repairs Reports received, response times, backlog
• Library services and closures Usage, opening hours, staffing, and closures
• Leisure centre usage and costs Attendance, operating costs, and subsidy

Decision-making#

• Committee meeting minutes Minutes of a named committee for a date range
• Planning decision correspondence Correspondence about a specific application
• Risk assessments Risk register or assessments for a named project
• Equality impact assessments EQIAs for a named policy or decision
• Business case The business case for a specific decision or project
• Internal audit reports Audit findings, assurance ratings, and recommendations
• Ministerial correspondence Correspondence between a public body and ministers on a topic

Staffing and operations#

• Staff numbers and vacancies Headcount and unfilled posts by department
• Agency and temporary staff costs Spend on agency workers by department
• IT systems and contracts Systems in use and contract values
• Staff sickness absence rates Days lost and rates by department
• Training spend Amount spent on staff training by category
• Gender pay gap Pay gap by grade, quartile, and working pattern
• Disciplinary and grievance cases Cases by category, outcomes, and trends
• Whistleblowing disclosures Reports received, categories, and outcomes
• Equal pay claims Outstanding claims, settlements, and legal costs

Children and families#

• Child protection register Children on register, categories, registrations and deregistrations
• Foster care allowances Weekly allowances by age band, additional allowances, fee structure
• Looked-after children placements Children in care by placement type, out-of-area placements, costs

Policing and justice#

• Use of force by police Incidents, types of force used, outcomes
• Complaints against police officers Numbers, categories, outcomes
• CCTV use Number of cameras, locations, cost of operation
• Stop and search data Incidents by area, reason, and positive rate
• Missing persons reports Reports received, age groups, repeat cases
• Domestic abuse incidents Reports, charges, and protection orders
• Drug-related incidents and seizures Offences, seizures, and area breakdown
• Custody suite usage and conditions People held, duration, healthcare, and complaints

Prisons#

• Prison complaints Complaints by category and outcome
• Deaths and serious incidents in prison Deaths in custody, self-harm, and assaults
• Use of separation and segregation Segregation numbers, duration, and reasons

Transport#

• Parking enforcement Tickets issued by street or area, revenue, appeals upheld
• Road safety incidents Accidents reported, injuries, locations, speed data
• Bus services and subsidies Subsidised routes, cost to council, passenger numbers
• Active travel spending Spending on cycling and walking infrastructure
• Electric vehicle charging points Chargers, usage, and costs
• Road maintenance budget and spending Budget, spending, condition surveys, and backlog

Council tax and benefits#

• Council tax collection and arrears Collection rate, total arrears, enforcement action taken
• Council tax exemptions and discounts Number and value of exemptions by category
• Discretionary housing payments Applications, awards, amounts, refusal reasons

Governance and transparency#

• FOI response times and compliance Requests received, response times, and refusal rates
• Data protection breaches Breaches recorded, types, and ICO reports
• Gifts and hospitality register Gifts and hospitality declared by staff and members
• Lobbying meetings Meetings between senior officials and external organisations

Planning and development#

• Building warrant applications Applications, approvals, refusals, and processing times
• Planning enforcement action Enforcement complaints, notices, and outcomes
• Developer contributions Section 75 agreements and developer contributions
• Housing land supply Effective land supply, completions, and sites with permission

Environment#

• Air quality monitoring Readings from monitoring stations in an area
• Flood risk assessments Assessments for a named area or development
• Water quality and sewage discharge Discharge data for a named waterway
• Contaminated land Entries on the contaminated land register for an area
• Tree felling Permissions granted and replacement planting requirements
• Waste and recycling rates Tonnage collected and recycled by type
• Noise assessments Assessments for a named development or area
• Pest control services Callouts by pest type, waiting times, and charges
• Fly-tipping incidents Reports, clean-up costs, and prosecutions
• Wildlife management and licences Deer management, wildlife licences, and culling data
• Energy use in council buildings Energy consumption, costs, and carbon emissions
• Allotment provision and waiting lists Plots, waiting lists, and rents