Correspondence concerning United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA): FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1. What was the reason Humza Yousaf gave to overrule officials to give money to UNRWA as reported here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/03/08/humza-yousaf-gave-250k-gaza-despite-officialadvice/
-Could you supply any analysis done on this decision and why it was overruled?
2. Could you supply all internal correspondence, briefings and minutes, the Scottish Government holds about how it should respond to the aforementioned Telegraph story?
3. All minutes/notes taken from his meeting with Marta Lorenza on November 2 2023 and all briefing notes prepared for this meeting?
4. How many Cobra meetings have been held in the last 12 months, what was the topics discussed, how many did the Scottish Government get invited to and who went for the government?
5. All minutes, briefings, correspondence sent and received by the Scottish Government, including internal, about using lie detectors on convicted terrorists in Scotland/England, between August 1 2023 and the date of this FOI.
Response
1. What was the reason Humza Yousaf gave to overrule officials to give money to UNRWA as reported here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/03/08/humza-yousaf-gave-250k-gaza-despite-official-advice/
-Could you supply any analysis done on this decision and why it was overruled?
Under section 17 (1) of the Act, please accept this as a notification that the Scottish Government doesn’t hold this information.
While unable to source an analysis you may find the following information useful.
In relation to the decision to fund UNRWA, the initial contribution of £500,000 was recommended by officials to be provided to UNRWA as the only organisation with the operational capacity for providing aid at scale in Gaza. Subsequent options put to Ministers for the additional funding of £250,000 were informed by advice from humanitarian organisations on need on the ground, with advice that it was important to be flexible at that point in providing humanitarian support. Funding through UNRWA or UNICEF were options, and Ministers choose from among those options.
Other links you may find useful are:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400398300/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400396149-2/
2. Could you supply all internal correspondence, briefings and minutes, the Scottish Government holds about how it should respond to the aforementioned Telegraph story?
I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested under Annex A.
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 an exemptions under sections s.36(i) (legal advice), s.30(b) (free and frank exchange of views), s.38(1)(b) (personal information)] of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions applies are explained below.
Exemptions under sections s.30, s.36 and s.38 of FOISA apply to some of the information you have requested. S.36 applies because some of the information contains confidential legal advice. S.30 applies because some of the information contains the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation and the provision of advice to senior officials and ministers. S.38 applies because some of the information contains personal data.
Section 38(1)(b) is not subject to the public interest test. Exemptions 36(i) and 30(b) 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. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because of current interest in the Scottish Government’s humanitarian funding and interest in open and transparent conduct. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in the Scottish Government being able to respond to media queries and the effective conduct of First Minister’s Questions.
3. All minutes/notes taken from his meeting with Marta Lorenza on November 2 2023 and all briefing notes prepared for this meeting?
All of the information you have requested is available from:
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 listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
4. How many Cobra meetings have been held in the last 12 months, what was the topics discussed, how many did the Scottish Government get invited to and who went for the government?
The Scottish Government cannot comment on the total number of COBR meetings held in the last 12 months, as those meetings are convened by the Cabinet Office COBR Unit and may not include participation from the Scottish Government.
We can however confirm the number of COBR meetings that we have participated in: whilst there is ongoing engagement between COBR Unit and the Scottish Government which forms part of day-to-day business, the Scottish Government has not attended any meetings badged as COBR meetings in the usual sense (e.g. where COBR might have stood up to respond to an issue) in the past 12 months.”
5. All minutes, briefings, correspondence sent and received by the Scottish Government, including internal, about using lie detectors on convicted terrorists in Scotland/England, between August 1 2023 and the date of this FOI.
Under section 17, this information is not held. However, you may wish to visit the Scottish Government’s publications page on the definitions and approaches to extremism or contact Police Scotland.
5. All minutes, briefings, correspondence sent and received by the Scottish Government, including internal, about UK Government plans to MRI scan asylum seeking children, between August 1 2023 and the date of this FOI?
Under section 17, this information is not held.
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.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback