Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group - post the independent review of mediation: FOI release

Information requested

You asked the Scottish Government to confirm:

• Whether the Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group is still in existence.
• The current composition of the Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group.
• Where to find the minutes online, failing which to provide them.

Response

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

The answers to your questions are:

• The Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group was convened by the previous Scottish Government administration and ceased in 2021 due to the combined pressures of responding to COVID 19 and Brexit pressures. The focus of the current Scottish Government is to expand the availability of free mediation services to widen access to justice for citizens and businesses consistently across the whole of Scotland. A copy of the press release is attached at https://www.gov.scot/news/expansion-of-free-mediation-clinics/#:~:text=The%20Scottish%20Government%20is%20also,Helpline%20on%200131%20556%208118.
• The work of the Scottish Dispute Resolution Delivery Group ceased in 2021 and the membership of the Group has now expired.
• The minutes of the four meetings of the Group in 2020 have not been published and are not available online. The Scottish Government is releasing the minutes of each of the meetings to you as requested:
  • Dispute Resolution Delivery Group minutes of meeting held on 28 January 2020
  • Dispute Resolution Delivery Group minutes of meeting held on 26 February 2020
  • Dispute Resolution Delivery Group minutes of meeting held on 30 September 2020
  • Dispute Resolution Delivery Group minutes of meeting held on 11 November 2020

An exemption under section s.38(1)] of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption applies to Third Party personal data of Scottish Government officials below the grades of Senior Civil Servants.

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 202300387703 - Information released - Annex

File type

19 page PDF

File size

436.8 kB