Ministerial visits and engagements to football matches: FOI release

Information requested

All the minutes and notes from the following ministerial engagements, who attended the engagements and any actions taken by the Scottish Government following them:

• Scotland vs Poland, Hampden Park on 24 March 2022
• The Open, St Andrews on 14 July 2022
• Scotland vs Ukraine, Hampden Park on 21 September 2022
• Scotland vs Georgia, Hampden Park on 20 June 2023
• Hibernian vs Aberdeen, Hampden Park on 4 November 2023
• Scotland vs Norway, Hampden Park on 19 November 2023
• Rangers vs Aberdeen, Hampden Park on 17 December 2023
• Aberdeen vs Celtic on 20 April 2024
• Aberdeen vs Livingston, Pittodrie Stadium on 15 May 2024

Whether it was a family member, friend or guest who attended these events with Neil Gray and which events they attended. For context, Neil Gray revealed on 14 November 2024 that a family member, guest or friend attended on six occasions.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested. Exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA apply to some of the information you have requested. This means we have redacted information linked to 38(1)(b) relating to personal details of members of the public and Scottish Government officials under the grade of Senior Civil Servant.

For the events for which there is no recorded minute or note, I can confirm that s.17 applies, this information is not held.

You have also asked whether it was a family member, friend or guest who attended these events with Neil Gray and which events they attended, Mr Gray having stated that this occurred on six occasions. Five of those six occasions are on the list of events you have asked about. For those visits other than Scotland v Poland, Scotland v Ukraine, Aberdeen v Livingston and The Open in 2022, Mr Gray took a guest. The names of these attendees are withheld under Section 38(1)(b) (personal information). For all of the visits, Mr Gray was accompanied by a Scottish Government official. The names of the officials are withheld under Section 38(1)(b) (personal information).

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 202400440819 - Information released - Annex

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