Staff for First Minister trips to United States and France: FOI release

Information requested

Please can you provide me with the names of those who accompanied First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, on her trip to the United States of America and Canada last month (February 2019)?

Additionally, the names of those who accompanied First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, on her trip to France a week later (also February 2019)?

Response

In relation to the First Minister’s visit to the United States of America and Canada, the delegation consisted of one Private Secretary, two Communications Staff, two Visits and Events Managers and two Special Advisers: Katy Bowman and Stuart Nicolson.

The Scottish Government recently published this information and it can be found at the link below. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-19-00363/

During the First Minister’s visit to France, the delegation consisted of one Private Secretary, one member of Communications staff, one Visits and Events Manger and one Special Adviser Liz Lloyd.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section Section 38(1)(b) – Personal Information of FOISA applies to that information, because it is personal data of a third party, ie names of those under Scottish Government Deputy Director Level.

Reasons for not providing information
An exemption applies

An exemption under section(s) 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested, because it is personal data of a third party, ie names of those under Scottish Government Deputy Director Level.

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."

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