Construction of a new hospital in Inverclyde: EIR review

Information requested

Original request - 202400401242

• The total number of meetings held between the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Stuart McMillan MSP between May 2016 and February 26th 2024 in relation to the construction of a new hospital in Inverclyde to replace the Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
• If any of the above meetings occurred I request notes from these meetings.

Response

Further to my letter of 26th March 2024, I have now completed my review of our response to your request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs) for –

“the total number of meetings held between the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Stuart McMillan MSP between May 2016 and February 26th 2024 in relation to the construction of a new hospital in Inverclyde to replace the Inverclyde Royal Hospital - if any of the above meetings occurred I request notes from these meetings.”

I have concluded that the original decision should be confirmed, with the following additional information. Comprehensive searches of the Scottish Government records management system were conducted. Those searches identified two meetings took place between the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Stuart McMillan MSP between May 2016 and February 26th 2024 in relation to the construction of a new hospital in Inverclyde.

You asked in your review request – “How do you know two meetings took place if you have no notes of meetings taking place e.g. the date of the meeting, who was at the meeting etc as well as further notes as to what was discussed at the meeting”

From the searches we found diary entries for the two meetings that took place on 30/5/2017 and 6/12/2018. No meeting notes were found as a result of initial searches. Contact was made with officials who arranged those meetings (where they were still in employment by Scottish Government to establish if meeting notes were taken. No meeting notes were taken.

On 13/01/2022, Scottish Government published a new Information Management Strategy. Subsequently, new measures have been introduced across the Scottish Government to improve how we record the information that we share with and receive from Ministers through their private offices.

The measures form part of focused work to improve the service provided to Ministers and will ensure we are handling and recording the information we share with Ministers in line with our professional responsibilities and the aims of the Scottish Government's Information Management Strategy. I have therefore concluded that the original decision should be confirmed, without modifications.

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.