Money spent on third-party or legal costs connected to independence: FOI release

Information requested

Since 2011, the amount of money spent by the Scottish Government on third-party or legal costs connected to in any way (advisory, consultancy or legal advice or other) to any question of policy around independence. This should include but not be limited to - consultancy connected to the Building a New Scotland papers, the White Paper, or legal advice connected to the Supreme Court reference or advice about EU membership.

Response

Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government website. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. However, in the interests of being helpful, we have provided links to the relevant material below:

Independence referendum: Supreme Court referral costs - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Case ref LIT/18035- Breakdown of legal fees over £50,000: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

£22,504.50 (inclusive of VAT) was paid for other fees of external counsel connected to questions such as those raised in those cases in 2019-2020.

I am unable to provide you with a figure for any costs associated with internal SG provided legal advice as details of individual tasks carried out by civil servants, including the number of hours spent on them, are not routinely recorded because there is no business need to do this. This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

No further costs have been incurred by the Scottish Government on external legal costs or third-party consultancy relating to Independence policy. This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

About FOI

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