Resignation of Mr Matheson as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care: FOI release

Information requested

The exact time and format in which Michael Matheson first informed Humza Yousaf of his resignation as Health Secretary and please provide the documentary evidence of this (the original email/WhatsApp/text) as well as Humza Yousaf's response).

All discussions from the Scottish Government planning press lines or media responses to Michael Matheson's resignation. Please provide any email threads, WhatsApp discussions or any other notes from meetings discussing these matters between any Scottish Ministers, their Special Advisers and any other officials who were present when discussing the Scottish Government's official response to Matheson's resignation.

Response

I have interpreted your question to mean, you are requesting any and all information on the planned press lines or media responses regarding his resignation, and in addition to that any emails/WhatsApp’s/meeting notes between Ministers/Spads in relation to discussions that took place about the response to his resignation.

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

The answer to your question is Mr Matheson informed the First Minister, Humza Yousaf of his resignation as Health Secretary at 10:26AM, via email which contained a PDF letter of his resignation. I have included a copy of this email.

Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government website, Health and Social Care Secretary resigns - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and Health Secretary: resignation letters - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). 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.

An exemption under section s.38(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

Section 38(1)(b) - requestor has asked for personal data of a third party. An exemption applies under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e names and contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2028.

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 202400398386 - Information released - ANNEX A

File type

5 page PDF

File size

240.7 kB