Former First Minister's Middle East Eye interview, Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) funding: FOI release

Information requested

1. Could you supply all correspondence held by the Scottish Government, including all sent/received and internal, briefing notes, minutes/notes from meetings, about the Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre in the last 12 months?

2. How much money has the Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre been given by the government or its quangos/arms-length companies and breakdown of this?

3. Could you supply all correspondence held by the Scottish Government, including all sent/received and internal, briefing notes, minutes/notes from meetings, about Humza Yousaf's Middle East Eye interview, in February, from between December 2023 and the date of this FOI?

4. Could you supply the full assessment process for the use of the international development fund to give money to the UNRWA in November 2023?
-Can this include the full decision making process behind this decision and any written demands for it?

Response

In response to question 1, I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested, attached at Annex B. 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 exemptions under sections s30(b)(i) Free and Frank provision of advice and s38(1)(b) Personal data apply to that information. The reason for the use of those exemptions is set out at Annex A.

In addition some of the information requested is subject to exemption s25 information otherwise available. The information requested has already been made available in response to previous Freedom of Information requests and can be viewed here: Al-Mahdi Foundation grants: FOI release -
gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and Climate Challenge Fund grant awarded to the Al-Mahdi Foundation: EIR release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Further information relating to this question has been released but not yet published on our website; it is attached at Annex C.

In response to question 2, please find enclosed a full breakdown of the funding awarded to the Al- Mahdi Foundation.

In response to question 3, we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections s30(b)(i) Free and Frank provision of advice and s38 (1)(b) Personal data apply to that information. The reason for the use of those exemptions is set out at Annex A.

In response to question 4, the information requested is subject to exemption s25 information otherwise available. The information requested has already been made available in response to previous Freedom of Information requests and can be viewed here: Donations to UNRWA for Gaza: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

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 202400410299 - Information released - Annex A - C

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