Decision to remove cartoon from Glow learning resource: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/02360
Date received: 12 October 2017
Date responded: 10 November 2017

Information requested

You asked for the following information via email:

1. The image of the cartoons mentioned within a link from a previous FOI response, FOI/17/01891.

2. Any correspondence and minutes of meetings between John Swinney and the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities on this topic.

3. Any details or correspondence including minutes of meetings, emails or phone calls that may explain why the response to this FOI initially omitted reference to the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities?

Response

As we have previously advised you in our email of 13 October 2017 Education Scotland does not have the information you have asked for because the cartoons in question are no longer available on Glow. Education Scotland is not responsible for the cartoons requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Education Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

A meeting was held on 11 May 2017 between the following groups/people: Scottish Council for Jewish Communities (SCoJeC); Mr John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills; an official from Education Scotland; an official from Scottish Government. No note was kept of this meeting by Mr Swinney, Education Scotland or Scottish Government. This is an official notification under section 17(1) that Education Scotland does not hold the information you have requested.

The initial response to FOI/17/01891 did not refer to the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities. This was because of Education Scotland's initial reading of the following two questions asked in the FOI: 'In particular who within Education Scotland and/or Scottish Govt took the decision to order its deletion? At whose behest was this done?'

We interpreted these questions as meaning 'why was the deletion made'? and responded as follows:

'The Deputy First Minister viewed the cartoon and, along with a range of officials, recognised it might be misconstrued outwith the wider context of the related materials, resulting in a risk of unbalanced messages being given to children and young people. In light of this risk, it was agreed that the cartoon should be removed. A second cartoon which was there to provide a balancing view was also subsequently removed.'

In our subsequent review of the above response, we recognised that we had not answered the two questions in the FOI request in full, and apologised. We went on to state that:

'the decision to remove the cartoon from Glow was taken following a meeting between the Deputy First Minister (DFM), his officials and the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities on 11 May 2017. The decision was as a result of this meeting; the decision was taken by DFM and officials.'

There were no meetings or minutes for this change of information. The review of the information lead to a different understanding of the information requested and so the answer was expanded upon to include reference to the decision and inclusion of the stakeholders who attended the meeting. This is an official notification under section 17(1) that Education Scotland does not hold the information you have requested.

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