Ministerial engagements when minister has been accompanied by family member or friend: FOI release

Information requested

Please provide a list of all ministerial engagements in 2022, 2023 and 2024 when the minister has been accompanied by a spouse/partner, other family member or friend. In each case, please confirm:

• What was the relation of the guest to the minister?
• What was the reason that the minister was accompanied by a friend or family member?
• Did the friend or family member travel using the ministerial car service, or were any other travelling expenses incurred?
• Was written agreement provided by the First Minister for the guest to accompany the minister and/or travel with the minister?

Response

Please see the response to your question in the attached annex.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. This is because this information is not routinely recorded, been accompanied by a spouse/partner, other family member or friend.

In relation to the additional questions:

What was the relation of the guest to the minister?

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. The information in the attached annex shows the engagements where it has been recorded that Ministers have been accompanied by a partner, friend or family member. Where information on the specific relation of the guest is available, this has been included in the annex.

What was the reason that the minister was accompanied by a friend or family member?

The specific reasons why the Minister has been accompanied by a friend or family member are not routinely recorded. Therefore, under section 17(1) of FOISA the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

It may assist you to know that Ministers are sometimes offered additional invitations for events where they are attending in their Ministerial capacity.

Did the friend or family member travel using the ministerial car service, or were any other travelling expenses incurred?

Where the Scottish Government holds information on whether the friend or family member travelled with the Minister in the Government Car Service, this has been included in the annex. It is important to note that this information is not recorded for all engagements therefore 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.

The Scottish Government does not have any record of other travel expenses being incurred.

Was written agreement provided by the First Minister for the guest to accompany the minister and/or travel with the minister?

The Scottish Government does not have the information you requested as no information has been recorded.

For your information, as per section 9.25 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, written agreement of the First Minister should be obtained where other travel expenses have been incurred. As mentioned above, there is no record of other expenses being incurred by the Scottish Government. Therefore, under section 17(1) of FOISA the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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 202400440968 - Information Released - Annex

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