Cost to tax payers to cover the energy expenses of MP/MSPs: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
Request 1:
The number and type of flights taken by ScotGov Ministers and MSP's including Nicola Sturgeon and The Greens since 2020 and also the Westminster MPs including Ian Blackford. Please include whether private or public, airline, the destination/reason for the flight and class of travel ticket and the cost to tax payers.
Request 2:
The total cost to tax payers and type of energy to cover the energy expenses of the same MP/MSPs. Please include gas, electricity and petrol/diesel since 2020 please include information for transport eg. cars and also property/residence.
Request 2a:
Please supply information on the costs for paper used for administration and also the brand/types/weights of paper used and the costs/processes for shredding/destruction.
Request 3:
The cost to tax payers to feed the same MP/MSPs on expenses - eg. shopping, dining out and catering since 2020.
Request 4:
The total cost of employing the same MP/MSPs - salary, bonuses and expenses since 2020.
Request 5:
The same data as 1-4 above for the Labour. Conservative, Alba and Lib Dem MP/MSPs.
Response
The Scottish Government can only provide information it holds, in this case relating to Scottish Government (SG) Ministers. Information relating to MSPs and MPs is a matter for the Scottish Parliament, UK Parliament or their respective political party. On this basis, and in my interpretation of your request, I can provide information for "request 1" and in specifically in relation to SG Ministers only.
Request 1 - I attach a table, at Annex A, providing information we hold for air travel by SG Ministers, including date, destination, airline and cost. It may be useful to note that Ministerial engagements, including overseas travel by Ministers, comprising destination and cost are routinely and proactively published. Information for January 2020 to April 2022 is available at:
Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
The information requested for the remaining months, May 2022 to 6 September 2022 will be published shortly and within 12 weeks of your request and will be available at the link above. This is a formal notice that section 27(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption allows public authorities to refuse to disclose information if they already plan to publish it within the next 12 weeks. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
Requests 2-5 - The Scottish government does not hold the information requested because, as indicated above, information related to MSPs and MPs are a matter for the respective Parliament. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. You may wish to contact the Scottish Parliament at info@parliament.scot for MSP information and the UK Parliament for MP information.
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 Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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