Correspondence about Sandstone Press Limited: FOI release

Information requested

1. All correspondence about Sandstone Press received and sent by the Scottish Government, including internal correspondence, between January 2020 and the date of this FOI.

2. All briefings prepared for ministers about Sandstone Press between the same time period.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.

We have responded to two previous FOI requests between 2020 and 2022 which contain some of the information you are looking for. The documents are available online from Publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Some of the documents included in the current response are from 2020 - 2022. These weren't previously released as they were already reasonably accessible to the requestor.

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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Exemptions under sections 30(b)(i) and (ii), 33(1)(b), 36(1) and 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

Section 30(b) - information that would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially – (i) the free and frank provision of advice; or (ii) the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.

Section 33(1)(b) - information that would (or would be likely to) prejudice substantially the commercial interests of any person or organisation

Section 36(1) - information in respect of which a claim to confidentiality of communications could be maintained in legal proceedings.

These exemptions are 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.

Section 38(1)(b) - Personal data of third parties e.g. names, email addresses and phone numbers.

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.

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.

FOI 202300383725 - Information Released - Documents 1-10

File type

207 page PDF

File size

6.1 MB