Remote Alcohol Monitoring (RAM) technology correspondence: FOI release

Information requested

All correspondence and meetings relating to remote alcohol monitoring (RAM) technology since January 2022 to date.

Response

Since January 2022 the following meetings relating to remote alcohol monitoring have taken place:

• 10/03/2022 - Cabinet Secretary meeting with Jamie Greene MSP & Sandesh Gulhane MSP
• 05/05/2022 - Scottish Government officials meeting with Violence Reduction Unit
• 29/06/2022 - Cabinet Secretary meeting with Jamie Greene MSP & Sandesh Gulhane MSP
• 26/07/2022 - Meeting with Minister for Drugs Policy & Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport and Prof. Keith Humphreys
• 21/09/2023 - Scottish Government officials meeting with representatives from SCRAM Systems
• 22/09/2023 - G4S meeting with Community Justice Scotland
• 21/11/2023 - Cabinet Secretary meeting with Community Justice Scotland

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. A table of the documents enclosed is included as attachment to this response.

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 exemptions under sections s.29(1)(a)(policy formulation) and s.38(1)(b)(personal information) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained below.

An exemption under section s.38(1)(b)(personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This has been applied to prevent disclosure of personal data of a third party.

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.

An exemption under section s.29(1)(a)(policy formulation) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. The reason for this is that the information contained therein relates to the formulation or development of government policy.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Taking account of the information relevant to the request, we have considered whether or not 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, because of the criminal justice sensitivities associated with alcohol monitoring technology and how it could be used.

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FOI 202300389232 - Information Released - Annex A - Table of documents

File type

2 page PDF

File size

22.6 kB

FOI 202300389232 - Information Released - Annex B

File type

73 page PDF

File size

2.2 MB