Speech given by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government at the UK Finance dinner on 6/10/22: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
The speech given by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government at the UK Finance dinner on 6/10/22.
Also, the briefing material prepared for the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government by SG officials, and any briefing material provided by UK Finance.
Response
A copy of most of the information you requested is attached.
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. In particular, UK Finance did not provide briefing material.
Further, some of the information has been redacted because certain exemptions apply. Reasons for not providing this information is set out below.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party. In this case it includes the names and/or contact details of individuals, 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.
An exemption under section 30(b)(i) of FOISA (free and frank provision of advice) also applies to a small amount of the information requested. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice. This exemption recognises the need for officials to have a private space within which to provide free and frank advice to Ministers and other officials before the Scottish Government reaches a settled public view, particularly where policy development and related discussions are ongoing.
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. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing a private space within which officials can provide full and frank advice to Ministers and other officials. 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.
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Contact
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Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
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