Social Security Scotland Best Start Grant Lessons Learned paper: FOI release

Information requested

Under FOISA, please provide the Social Security Scotland Best Start Grant Lessons Learned paper.

Response

1. I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections s.27(1) (Information intended for future publication) and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why the exemptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.

Reasons for not providing information - Annex
Exemptions under sections s.29(1)(a) (policy formulation) and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

S.38(1)(b)
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, eg names/contact details of individuals 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.

s.27(1)
An exemption under section s27 (1) applies to the Go Live date for Best Start Grant Nursery Payment as Scottish Ministers plan to publish this information within the next 12 weeks. At the time of production of this paper the dates were estimated and release of this date within the paper may cause undue confusion and a misleading picture. Publication of the Go live date is expected imminently.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because this is a new initiative and there is a high degree of public interest. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in the risk of generating a misleading picture and the dates for launch of this new benefit are not relevant to the content of the paper.

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.

FOI-19-00697 Information released

File type

6 page PDF

File size

292.9 kB