Housing Announcement: FOI release

Information requested

The Housing announcement today from the First Minister in Dundee.

I'd like the following:

1. The date and time this decision to make this announcement was communicated to the Scottish Government.

2. Who was present when this decision affecting housing was made.  Was it a cabinet decision or did it come from the office of the First Minister?

3. The first correspondence or email that mentions the cost of this decision.

Response

Question 1: The answer to your question is the date and time the decision to make the announcement was communicated to the Scottish Government was 26 April at 09:58.

Question 2: The answer to your question is this decision was communicated electronically from the office of the Deputy First Minister.

Question 3: While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because an exemption under section 30(b)(i) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies is explained in the Annex to this letter.

ANNEX
REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION

An exemption applies, subject to the public interest test

An exemption under section 30(b)(i) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. Documents containing free and frank provision of advice to Scottish Ministers have been withheld.  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 as disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice.

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.