Publication - FOI/EIR release

Selection process for 2017 Robert Owen award: FOI release

Published: 1 November 2017
Topic: Education, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/17/02201
Date received: 1 October 2017
Date responded: 30 October 2017

Information requested

1. Details of the selection process for the 2017 Robert Owen award.

2. Confirmation of when the decision to give the award to Lindsey Watt was made.

3. Confirmation of when Lindsey Watt was informed that she would receive the 2017 Robert Owen award.

4. Copies of any Scottish Government correspondence related to the awarding of the 2017 Robert Owen award.

Response

1. Each year, the Cabinet Secretary for Education is invited to consider if s/he wishes to present a Robert Owen Award, and to whom. In 2017, Education Scotland provided the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills with suggestions for a potential recipient, together with a recommendation.

2. The decision was confirmed by the Deputy First Minister's office on Tuesday 29 August 2017.

3. A letter was issued from the Deputy First Minister's office to Ms Watt on Tuesday 5 September 2017.

4. Please find attached various documents relating to the awarding of the 2017 Robert Owen Award.

However, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information requested because an exemption under section 38(1)(b), personal information of FOISA applies to some of the information requested.

The reason why this exemption applies is explained below.

Reasons for not providing information

Section 38(1)(b) - personal information.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some information which has been redacted from some of the enclosed documents. This exemption applies because the information is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998.

This is because releasing this information could lead to the identification of staff members.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

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