Dr Hilary Cass and the Cass Review: FOI release

Information requested

1. Could you supply all correspondence sent and received by the Scottish Government to and from Dr Hilary Cass (or her office), including internal, from over the last 12 months?

2. Could you supply all briefings prepared for ministers, all analysis undertaken for or by the government, all correspondence received and sent by the Scottish Government, including internally, and all minutes/notes from meetings, about the Cass Review, between February 1 2024 and the date of this FOI?
-If too much money, reduce the dates to March 1 2024 and the date of this FOI.

Response

Regarding your first query; I enclose a copy some of the information you requested. Exemptions under sections 25(1) and 38(1)(b) of FOISA apply to some of the information you have requested.

Some of the information you have requested is available at the following web link: National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group minutes: December 2023 - 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 listed, then please contact us again and we will send you a paper copy.

Section 38(1)(b) states that “information is exempt information if it constitutes personal data and the first, second or third condition is satisfied (see subsections (2A) to (3A)).” Subsection 2A(a) states that “the first condition is that the disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under this Act would contravene any of the data protection principles”. Some of the documents attached have, accordingly, been redacted under section 38(1)(b) to protect the personal information of individuals.

Regarding your second query; while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600, due to the large number of documents that would fall within the scope of this request, even using the narrower timeframe you have suggested.

Under section 12 of FOISA, public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

You may, however, wish to consider further reducing the scope or time period of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner's 'Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs' on his website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

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 202400410042 - Information released - Attachments 1 - 18

File type

95 page PDF

File size

1.5 MB