Meetings where universal free school meals were discussed: FOI release

Information requested

A list of all internal and external meetings where universal free school meals were discussed since 1 May 2024.

All briefing materials and agendas of these meetings.

All minutes of these meetings.

All correspondence relating to these meetings and this topic.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

In response to your ask for a list of all internal and external meetings where universal free school meals were discussed since 1 May 2024, I can confirm that the following meetings took place:

• 5 May 2024: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills attended a roundtable hosted by Monica Lennon on universal free school meals.
• 7 August 2024: The First Minister, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills met to discuss free school meals.

You requested all briefing materials and agendas of these meetings. I have enclosed some of this information in Documents A, B, and C. Document A relates to the meeting of 5 May, and Documents B and C relate to the meeting of 7 August.

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 (38)(i)(b) (Personal information), Section 30(b)(i) (provision of free and frank advice), and Section 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views) of FOISA applies to that information.

Exemptions under Section 30(b)(i) and Section 30(b)(ii) are subject to the 'public interest test'. 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 because of the interest in free school meals policy. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in ensuring that there is a private space for free and frank advice to be provided and for free and frank views to be shared.

You also asked for minutes of these meetings. In this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested. In relation to the meeting of the meeting of 5 May, this information is not held. In relation to the meeting of the 7 August, we are unable to release the information you have requested because an exemption under Section 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views) of FOISA applies to that information.

Finally, you asked for all correspondence relating to these meetings and this topic. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. 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. 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.aspx

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400430398 - Information Released - Annex

File type

46 page PDF

File size

705.2 kB