Alcohol testing carried out within Scottish Government: FOI release

Information requested

1. The number of alcohol tests carried out on Scottish Government employees each year since 2014.
2. Details of all alcohol tests which have been failed by Scottish Government employees since 2014. Please include the date of the test, the reason for the testing, the employee’s department, and any relevant punishment given to the employee as a result or the outcome of resultant investigation.

Response

You have asked for information about Scottish Government employees. This response therefore covers staff who are employed in the Scottish Government Core Directorates.
Alcohol tests are carried out in certain circumstances and only on a ‘with cause’ basis.
The Scottish Government has robust policies and procedures in place to deal with occasions where expected standards of conduct are not met. Where a member of staff fails an alcohol test, their case is referred to HR. Since 2014, there have been fewer than 5 cases referred to HR.

While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, I am unable to provide the rest of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies. That exemption applies because the information is personal data of a third party/parties, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Regulation 2016/679 and section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

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.