Foreign aid provided during April 2024: FOI release

Information requested

1. How many times has Scottish Government officials/ministers visited the East Kilbride FCDO office in the last three years? -Could you supply details from these meetings, including minutes/notes from meetings?

2. How much foreign aid was released by the Scottish Government during April 2024 and could you supply details of when and where it went and why?

3. Could you supply all documentation held about applying for EU structural funding, including correspondence sent and received, minutes from meetings, briefings, from the last two months?

4. Could you supply all documentation held about or mentioning Donald Trump including correspondence sent and received, minutes from meetings, briefings, from the last month?

5. Could you supply all documentation held about or mentioning Iran including correspondence sent and received, minutes from meetings, briefings, between September 25 2024 to October 25 2024?

6. Could you supply all documentation held about the council of nations summit, including correspondence sent and received, minutes from meetings, briefings, between October 1 2024 and November 1 2024?

Response

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

Response to question 1

There was one recorded visit by Scottish government officials/ministers to the East Kilbride FCDO office between 02/12/2021-02/12/2024. In early 2024 a meeting took place between (redacted - section 38(1)(b)), personal data of third party), International Development Inclusive Education Lead for Scottish Government and (redacted - section 38(1)(b)), personal data of third party), UN Adviser for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at Abercrombie House to discuss engagement with UN Agencies. No minute was taken. An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (Personal Information) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested. This is because it is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Response to question 2

See Annex A, attached separately.

Response to question 3

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because there were no funding applications for European Structural Funds in 2024. The last call for funding applications was 1 February 2018; as a result, there are no copies of correspondence, minutes or briefings to be provided from the time period outlined in your request.

Response to question 4

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. This is as a result of the volume of information falling within scope of your request across multiple policy areas including International Trade and Investment; External Affairs and the Office of the Chief Economist. 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 e.g. by specifying the subject(s) or business area(s) in which you are interested, or narrowing the timeframe. 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.

Response to question 5 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because exemptions under section 30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice), and section 30(c) (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs), of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 apply to that information. These exemptions apply because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation, and have a prejudicial effect on the effective conduct of public affairs within the Scottish Government. The exemptions recognise the need for Ministers to have a private space within which to seek advice and views from officials before reaching a settled public position.

The above exemptions are subject to the public interest test. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemptions. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption for the advice. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent andaccountable government, an d to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest inallowing a  private space within which officials can provide free and frank advice and views to Ministers in briefing, and therefore ensuring the effective conduct of public affairs. They need full and candid advice from officials and premature disclosure of this type of information could lead to a reduction in the comprehensiveness and frankness of such advice and views in the future, which would not be in the public interest.

Response to question 6

See Annex B, attached separately.

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 202400443116 - Information released - Annex A (Response to Q2)

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PDF

File size

137.6 kB

FOI 202400443116 - Information released - Annex B (Response to Q6)

File type

PDF

File size

1.4 MB