Meetings Lorna Slater has had about the drinks deposit scheme in the last six months: EIR release

Information requested

1. A list of all meetings Lorna Slater has had about the drinks deposit scheme in the last six months. Include who she met and the dates.
2. Minutes from meetings Lorna Slater had in January about the drinks deposit scheme.
3. The latest delivery confidence assessment for the drinks deposit scheme?
4. How much so far has the Scottish Government spent on Circularity Scotland? Breakdown of costs?

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is 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 exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Response

Question 1

Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

The Scottish Government proactively publishes information in regards to Ministerial Engagements including that of Lorna Slater MSP, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity. This information is updated on a monthly basis, with recent engagements being published up to twelve weeks in arrears.

Question 2

I have included copies of the information you have requested in Annex B.

On reviewing materials within the scope of your request, an exception has been applied in line with the EIRs. The exception applied can be found in Annex A.

Question 3

Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

The information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government website, ‘Deposit return scheme – gateway review: action plan assurance’.

Question 4

No public funding has been provided to Circularity Scotland Ltd in respect of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

About FOI

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

Annex A - 202300341512

File type

1 page PDF

File size

87.1 kB

Annex B - 202300341512

File type

6 page PDF

File size

120.7 kB