Scottish Budget speech analysis: FOI release

Information requested

On 27th February 2024, the Deputy First Minster delivered a speech in the Scottish Parliament which included the following excerpt:

“And our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years. And that's after factoring in our borrowing powers. All told that's a cut from Westminster to our ability to invest in infrastructure of around £1.6 billion".

The full speech is here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/budget-scotland-no-3-bill-stage-3-debate-deputy-first-ministerspeech/

Please provide all internal Scottish Government (including Ministers, Civil Servants, Special Advisers, and Press Officers) discussion of the £1.6 billion figure mentioned in the above excerpt. In other words: all conversations around the drafting of the speech which discuss the £1.6 billion figure, and all Scottish Government analysis and documentation which justifies the figure. This should include all relevant attachments to emails.

Response

I enclose copies of the information you requested in the Annex to this letter.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance an exemption under section * s.30(b)(ii) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This relates to the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.

This exemption is 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. We recognise that there is some public interest in releasing discussions of officials for transparency. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation regarding sensitive information.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some the information you have requested. Section 38(1)(b) relates to personal data relating to a third party. The documents provided have been redacted accordingly.

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 202400403342 - Information released - Annex A

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