Fergus Ewing, information and communications in relation to salmon farming: FOI release

Please provide information in relation to Fergus Ewing and salmon farming since 1 January 2018.

Please include any emails and correspondence with salmon farming companies and salmon farming interests.

Please include any emails and correspondence from constituents and other parties in relation to salmon farming,

Please include any complaints in relation to salmon farming.

Please include Cabinet Secretary Briefings and any internal government emails and discussions in relation to salmon farming.

Please include any information relating to discussion of any "detractors".

Please include information relating to Fergus Ewing's support for the growth of salmon farming (including any reaction to his comments).

Please include information relation to Twitter and Tweets (e.g. discussions responding or not responding to Tweets).

Please detail meetings with salmon farming interests (e.g. Marine Harvest & Scottish Sea Farms).

Please detail any donations and financial support to and from salmon farming interests (e.g. gold cufflinks donated by Marine Harvest). 

Please include any photos of Fergus Ewing promoting salmon farming.        

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

Section 29(1)(a) – formulation or development of government policy 

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’.  Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.  We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.  We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate.  However, there is a greater public interest in high quality policy and decision-making, and in the properly considered implementation and development of policies and decisions.  This means that Ministers and officials need to be able to consider all available options and to debate those rigorously, to fully understand their possible implications.  Their candour in doing so will be affected by their assessment of whether the discussions on developing aquaculture policy will be disclosed in the near future, when it may undermine or constrain the Government’s view on that policy while it is still under discussion and development.

Information otherwise accessible

Section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act) exempts information from disclosure where the requester can reasonably obtain the information without making a request for it.

Section 33(1)(b) – commercial interests 

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’.  Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.  We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.  We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to help account for the expenditure of public money.  However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of companies.