Child Poverty Cumulative Impact Assessment analysis: FOI release

Information requested

Information relating to the Child Poverty Cumulative Impact Assessment that was published on 28 February 2024.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested, namely parts 3 and 4 of your request:

3. A copy of the final notes or discussion that was had before the final draft of the assessment was published. [documents 3A - 3B]

4. All analysis, and briefing/explainer notes the Scottish Government has regarding the modelling of the Child Poverty Cumulative Impact Assessment. [documents 4A - 4E]

An exemption(s) under section 38(1)(b) (third party data) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested in documents 3A and 3B. This exemption applies to the disclosure of personal data, in this case when disclosure would contravene data protection laws, and is not subject to a public interest test. In terms of your request, I have applied this exemption by redacting the names of some officials.

In addition, an exemption(s) under section section 30(b) (free and frank provision of advice or exchange of views) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested in document 3B. This exemption applies when disclosing information would inhibit the provision of advice or the exchange on views. 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 transparency in how government decisions are reached serves the public interest. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in allowing a private space within which officials can provide full and frank advice to Ministers. Without this private space, the quality of advice, and consequently the quality of decisions, would be undermined. We have not applied this exemption in a blanket fashion, but only to information the disclosure of which we deem would be against the public interest for these reasons.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the material requested in parts 1 and 2 of your request would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. This is because there are a very large number of documents that would technically fall within the scope of these parts of your request, which are interconnected. 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 reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. This could be achieved by specifying a timeframe (for example, the week leading up to the publication of the Cumulative Impact Assessment) and by further specifying the subject matter (for example, to cover only concerns relating to 'uncertainty' and 'caution', rather than all correspondence on the use of modelling).

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 202400411154 - Information released - Attachments 1 - 7

File type

50 page PDF

File size

1.5 MB