Chinese Government outpost: FOI release

Information requested

1. The date of the First Minister’s meeting with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland regarding reports of a Chinese Government outpost in Glasgow that the First Minister referred to on 27 October 2022 during First Minister’s Questions. Please provide the date and attendees at this meeting and any minutes of this meeting.
2. Any other meetings the First Minister or the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans has held regarding this alleged Chinese Government outpost in Glasgow. Please provide the date, attendees and minutes at any meetings.

Response

Regarding question number 1 (Date and Attendees):

In respect of your first question, please find details of a note prepared after this regular meeting. Due to the fact this meeting related to security matters, the Scottish Government only holds limited records of the content of the meeting. However, please find below a record of the meeting where the matter was briefly raised in conversation within the context of the meeting.

“On 26th October the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General were briefed by the Chief Constable, the Deputy Chief Constable and the Assistant Chief Constable for Organised Crime, Counter Terrorism and Intelligence on the terrorist threat to Scotland and other related matters.

Also present was the First Minister’s Principal Private Secretary, the Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework and the Head of the Security and Counter Terrorism Unit, Scottish Government”

Regarding question number 1 (Minutes):

As previous iterated due to the nature of this meeting the Scottish Government does not have an official record of minutes of this meeting.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide minute . This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

Regarding question number 2:

In respect to your second question, as no meeting has taken place this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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