LGBT Youth Scotland data, Chief Medical Officer interviews and Education Secretary's briefings: FOI release

Information requested

1. Could you supply a list of how many interview requests have been made for Gregor Smith in the last three months, if they were accepted/rejected, who made them, and why they were accepted/rejected?

2. How much money has been given to LGBT Youth Scotland in the past three years, with breakdown of this case, and how much is planned to be given to it in next two years?

3. Could you supply all analysis, briefings and reviews written about LGBT Youth Scotland, and all correspondence with them and mentioning them, from the last six months?

4. Has a review been launched into LGBT Youth Scotland in Scotland's schools?

5. Could you supply all briefings prepared for Jenny Gilruth ahead of her appearance at Holyrood on April 23?

Response

1. I attach a table of the interview requests made for Gregor Smith in the last three months. This table includes details of the requestor, subject, whether it was accepted or declined and the reason for the decision.

2. Information on funding allocated to LGBT Youth Scotland for the years 2021 to 2024 is available in the public domain and can be found at Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - 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 me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Information on additional payments issued to LGBT Youth Scotland between 22 May 2021 and 22 May 2024 has been attached.

Regarding the query ‘how much is planned to be given to it in next two years?’. We are providing LGBT Youth Scotland with £290,870.50 from the Equality and Human Rights Fund for this financial year (2024- 25) but do not hold any information after this.

3. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in regards to this question, the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. The reason for this is that to locate and retrieve that information we would need to conduct a search of all of the records of the Scottish Government. It may help if I explain that we file our information according to the subject matter, not by reference to organisations such as LGBT Youth Scotland. 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. For example, you could reduce the timeframe, specify the type of document you are interested in or restrict your request to a specific business area of the Scottish Government, as this would allow us to limit the searches that would require to be conducted. 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.asp

4. Information on the Scottish Government’s position regarding a review into LGBT Youth Scotland in Scotland's schools can be found at: Meeting of the Parliament: 23/04/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website and Meeting of the Parliament: 25/04/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website.

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 me again and I will send you a paper copy.

5. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested for this question because an exemption under section section 30(b) (i) of FOISA, free and frank provision of advice, applies.

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 there is some public interest in release for the interest of being open and transparent. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in ensuring the opportunity is given to discuss topics at preliminary stages of consideration, as well as allowing for free and frank exchange 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.

FOI 202400415249 - Information released - Attachment 1

File type

1 page PDF

File size

95.1 kB

FOI 202400415249 - Information released - Attachment 2

File type

Excel document

File size

12.9 kB