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Publication - FOI/EIR release

Meetings relating to corporal punishment of children: FOI release

Published
21 March 2018
Directorate
Justice Directorate
Topic
Law and order, Public sector

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

FOI reference: FOI/18/00564
Date received: 20 February 2018
Date responded: 20 March 2018

Information requested

Information on meetings with and resources provided to:

  • Children are Unbeatable! (CAU!)

  • The Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children

  • The Children's Rights Alliance

  • The Commission on Children and Violence in the UK

  • Peter Newell

You are asking about the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2017.

Response

Ministerial meetings

You asked about Ministerial meetings. Information on Ministerial engagements is at:

Information on Ministerial engagements carried out after October 2017 will be published on the website in due course.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed above, then please contact me again and I will send you paper copies.

Meetings at official level

You also asked about meetings which Scottish Government officials had with:

  • Children are Unbeatable! (CAU!)

  • The Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children

  • The Children's Rights Alliance

  • The Commission on Children and Violence in the UK

  • Peter Newell

Children are Unbeatable!

On Children are Unbeatable!, the Scottish Government's understanding is that this is an alliance of organisations which aims to change the law on physical punishment to remove the defence currently available to parents in some circumstances.

Officials met with Children are Unbeatable! (and with Children 1st) on 29 August 2013. This meeting discussed their work on physical punishment and their work to change the law.

Our records also show that officials appear to have attended an event organised by Children are Unbeatable! on 13 May 2014. This was a roundtable event about the physical punishment of children. Children are Unbeatable! said at the time that the aim was to "allow an honest and productive discussion about the best way forward regarding equal protection from assault for children".

The Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any meetings held by officials with the Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children.

The Children's Rights Alliance.

The Scottish Government is not aware of an organisation with this name working in Scotland. So far as we are aware, officials have not held meetings with an organisation called the Children's Rights Alliance.

There is a body in Scotland called "Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)". However, this seems a separate body to the one you mention and so we have concluded that it is not covered by your request under FOISA.

The Commission on Children and Violence in the UK.

The Scottish Government is not aware of an organisation with this name working in Scotland. So far as we aware, officials have not held meetings with an organisation called the Commission on Children and Violence in the UK.

Peter Newell.

So far as we aware, officials have not held meetings with Peter Newell.

Funding.

You asked about funding, whether cash or benefits in kind, provided by the Scottish Government to Children are Unbeatable!, the Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children, the Children's Rights Alliance, the Commission on Children and Violence in the UK and Peter Newell. The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to any of these bodies or to Peter Newell.

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

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference

Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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