Costs associated with COP15: FOI release

Information requested

1. The costs associated with Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater’s attendance at COP15, in Montreal, Canada. This should include all travel, accommodation, and any other expenses incurred
2. The costs associated with all other Scottish Government ministers, and civil servants, who attended COP15, in Montreal, Canada. This should include all travel, accommodation, and any other expenses incurred. This should be presented by highlighting each civil servant and/or government ministers individual costs.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold some of the information you have requested. The reasons why we don’t hold some of the information are explained in this letter.

Regarding question one and question two, the information held at the time of your request is presented in the below table.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not hold some of the information you have requested. The reason is because some of the invoices relating to costs associated with the Scottish Government’s presence at COP15 in Montreal are still being processed.

Category	Travel	Accommodation
Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity	£1,661.63 economy	$2,650 CAD excluding taxes
Special Advisor to the Minister	£1,841.09 economy	$2,055.25 CAD including taxes
Three Scottish Government Officials accompanying Minister	£5,217.69 economy	$7,950 CAD excluding taxes
Four Scottish Government Officials - Canada Office	£675.28 economy	$6,462.59 CAD including taxes

We draw your attention to the fact that information about Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts is released regularly by the Scottish Government on its website at: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Information relating to the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity’s attendance at COP15 will be published as part of this proactive release of information.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.