Budget for a Independence Referendum: FOI release

Information requested

1. How much the budget is for the Independence Referendum?
2. By how much it was reduced alongside other department budget cuts?

Response

1. How much the budget is for the Independence Referendum?
   Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government website. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. However, in the interests of being helpful, we have provided links to the relevant material below:
   
   Investing in Scotland's Future: Resource Spending Review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
   
   The Resource Spending Review includes a provisional allocation of £20m in 2023-4 for funding for an independence referendum. The figure of £20m is a provisional figure for the non-Scottish Government costs of the referendum.
    
2. By how much it was reduced alongside other department budget cuts?
   
   Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government website. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. However, in the interests of being helpful, we have provided links to the relevant material below:
   
   Emergency Budget Review: 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
   
   You may also find this contextual information helpful. The Emergency Budget Review, linked to above, set out the next steps the Scottish Government is taking to respond to the current economic circumstances, and included a number of adjustments to budget lines in 2022/23.

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.