Internal communications in relation to the processing of the freedom of information response ref. FoI/18/02218: FOI release

You asked for:

1.          All written communication or records of other communication held by the Scottish Government relating to the processing of my previous FOI request, case number FoI/18/02218.
2.         Any records indicating that the said request was referred to Scottish Government Ministers or Special Advisers and the reasons for any such referral.

Response

The information you have requested has been provided in separate attached documents.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance some of the information you have requested has been redacted due to exemptions under sections:

s.38(1) – Personal data.

The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below.

Reasons for not providing information 

An exemption applies.

Section 38(1)(b) – applicant has asked for personal data of a third party.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. lower level official’s names and contact details 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.