SCOTLAND’S Freedom of Information watchdog has ordered SNP ministers to improve their performance after a series of “totally unacceptable“ failures to respond to requests.

Rosemary Agnew, who steps down as Scottish Information Commissioner at the end of the month after five years in office, has given ministers six months to comply with the law.

Citizens were being denied their rights and public trust was being eroded by the government’s repeated failures, she told the investigative website The Ferret.

Vowing her office would act with “the full force of the law”, she said: “I wouldn’t say I’m slapping them yet, but I’m definitely threatening to slap them hard.”

She said she was confident her successor as Commissioner would pursue the action.

She said there had been an “ongoing issue” with ministers since she started monitoring failures to respond in 2013/14, when there had been 25 appeals after zero responses.

In 2015-16, there were 10 similar appeals, and eight in 2016/17, four from journalists.

Ms Agnew, who is taking up the post of Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, has now informed ministers she is “dissatisfied” with their performance, and launched a formal intervention to force improvements, closely monitoring responses until September.

Sher said: “They have got to demonstrate that they have improved their response rate. “We will take action if they don’t improve.”

The Commissioner has the power to issue a “practice recommendation” requiring action.

“Whether it’s the media, whether it’s a campaign group, whether it’s an engaged citizen, it is not acceptable to ignore them. It’s totally unacceptable.”

“People have to be able to trust public services, and how you make your information available is fundamental to helping build that trust.”

Failing to respond “can ultimately undermine relationships between citizens and state that are really important. I just think it’s rude as well.”

Carole Ewart, convener of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland, said: “We are disappointed that the commissioner has been forced to take this action but welcome this robust response to ensure that the enforceable right to access information is respected.

“The commissioner’s action occurs at a time when there is growing disquiet that access to information rights in Scotland are being weakened by stealth and omission.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “In the large majority of cases we respond on time and in full. The number of freedom of information requests received has been steadily increasing with more than 2,000 requests received in 2016, and more received in the first three months of this year than in the whole of 2007.

“We are working with the Scottish Information Commissioner to address her concerns.”