Bridging payment and free school meals: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
A copy of all communications between Scottish Government Officials and Local Authority employees regarding Scottish Child Bridging Payments for Home Educated children/families, and all information held in relation to Free School Meals payments being discretionary for Home Educated children at Local Authority level.
Response
In respect of the first part of your request, i.e. a copy of all communications between Scottish Government Officials and Local Authority employees regarding Scottish Child Bridging Payments for Home Educated children/families, I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. Section 38(1)(b) relates to personal data the disclosure of which would contravene data protection principles. As such, we have redacted the names and other identifying information of Scottish Government and local authority officials.
In addition to this exemption, we have also redacted any information disclosed in communications between Scottish Government and local authority officials that is out of scope of the request, i.e. where the information does not relate to Scottish Child Bridging Payments for Home Educated children/families.
With reference to the second part of your request, i.e. all information held in relation to Free School Meals payments being discretionary for Home Educated children at Local Authority level, some of the information you have requested is available from Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (legislation.gov.uk). The legislation around school meals provision during term time is set out in section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.
Information around free school meals eligibility is also available on our website, available here: School meals - mygov.scot, which sets out that home educated children are not entitled to free school meals.
Information is also available from Home education guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), under Section 5.3 of the guidance, which states that local authorities are not legally obliged to provide any resources for home educated children.
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. 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.
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.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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