Council tax freeze and refuse worker strikes: FOI release

Information requested

"Could you provide all correspondence/minutes and notes from meetings, between John Swinney, Shona Robison and Humza Yousaf, about the council tax freeze?

Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government, including correspondence, including internal, minutes/notes from meetings, briefings, policy analysis, about refuse worker strikes, from the last three months?”

Response

With regard to the request above, I have interpreted this request as any meeting between all three parties, John Swinney, Shona Robison and Humza Yousaf.

While the aim of the Scottish Government is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because the Scottish Government does not hold the information under the terms of your request. Therefore, we are unable to comply with your request under section 17(1) of FOISA.

I would add that variations of the scope of your FOI request have been made to the Scottish Government. For ease, I have provided those published responses below:

• FOI - Minutes, Time and Date of the Council Tax Freeze decision
• FOI - Minutes from meetings with COSLA on the Council Tax freeze
• FOI - WhatsApp messages relating to Cuncil Tax freeze
• FOI - Minutes, Analysis on Council Tax Freeze (2024)

With regard to the request above, I have interpreted this request as specifically relating to industrial action by waste and recycling workers. I have attached relevant documentation which I hope you will find helpful.

Some personal information (names, email addresses and phone numbers) has been redacted under Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA. Some advice relating to ongoing pay negotiations has been redacted under Section 30(b)(i) of FOISA which relates to the provision of free and frank advice. Some material in relation to ongoing pay negotiations has also been redacted under Section 30(c) of FOISA which relates to the effective conduct of public affairs. Some material has also been redacted as it does not relate directly to industrial action by waste and recycling workers and, as such, is out of scope of your request.

Where relevant, I have considered the public interest test. Taking account of all the circumstances of this case, I have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. I have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.

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 202400432957 - Information Released - Annex

File type

67 page PDF

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463.0 kB