The aim of PRSA is to improve governance and help safeguard the rights of citizens.
The Act has its origins in a record keeping crisis where the records of many vulnerable people were lost. In 2007 the Historical Abuse Systemic Review: Residential Schools and Children's Homes in Scotland 1950 to 1995 (the Shaw Report) recommended the need for new public records legislation in Scotland.
Poor record keeping in these institutions created difficulties for former residents when they attempted to trace or access their records. The PRSA fulfils one of the main recommendations of Shaw’s 2007 report.
Good records management helps authorities meet their statutory obligations and respond better to their users’ needs. Effective records management also helps authorities to better monitor public services and maintain accurate records of the circumstances and experiences of individuals, including safeguarding the records of vulnerable people.
The Act aims to create a public sector culture that acknowledges the importance of records, recognises how they underpin corporate rights and responsibilities, and understands how they guarantee the rights of citizens.
