Alternative GERS project: FOI release

Information requested

On 11th March 2023, Humza Yousaf told an SNP leadership hustings audience in Glasgow that if he became First Minister, he would take forward the “alternative GERS” project, originally announced by Derek Mackay in October 2019.

Please provide:

1. The number of civil servants working on the alternative GERS project, broken down by job title, pay grade, and where possible, identified by name.
2. All Scottish Government (Ministers, Civil Servants, and Special Advisers) discussion of the “alternative GERS” project, including correspondence with external parties, 1st March 2023 - date.
3. The date on which the first alternative GERS report is expected to be published.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested. This is because an exemption under Section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party. In line with standard Scottish Government policy, only the names and email addresses of individuals at Deputy Director level or above have been released.

The responses to the three parts of your request are set out below:

Part 1

There are no civil servants working on the "alternative GERS" project.

Part 2 

Please see the information provided in Annex A.

Part 3

While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice 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 http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Annex A - 202300353929

File type

2 page PDF

File size

179.8 kB