Publication - FOI/EIR release

Data concerning international flights taken by Minister for ECCLR: FOI release

Published: 30 October 2019
Directorate: Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate
Topic: Environment and climate change, Public sector, Transport
FOI reference: FOI/19/02244
Date received: 2 October 2019
Date responded: 29 October 2019

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Information requested

In that request you indicated that you sought, for the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, details of international flights taken since May 2016, to include a breakdown detailing destination, reason for the trip, duration and, if known, the associated emissions.

Response

We endeavour to provide information wherever possible. All Ministerial travel is published proactively by the Scottish Government. Some of the information you have requested:

Name
Ministerial title
Destination (as “Location”), and
Reason for the trip (as “Event”)

can be accessed from the following link:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/?term=Ministerial%20engagements,%20travel%20and%20gifts&publicationTypes=transparency-data&page=1
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
The following table sets out the destination, duration, associated emissions and reason for each trip. Some trips were booked and recorded as one-way and some were booked and recorded as return.

Date of trip	Destination	Duration (days)	Emissions (kgCO2)	Reason for trip
04/10/2019	Return from Luxembourg	1	230	Inbound flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Luxembourg
03/10/2019	Luxembourg	1	153	Outbound flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Luxembourg
06/03/2019	Spain, France	2	141	Inbound flights. Attendance as speaker at International Conference on Climate Change in San Sebastian, Spain
05/03/2019	Belgium, Spain	1	153	Outbound flights. Attendance as speaker at International Conference on Climate Change in San Sebastian, Spain
11/12/2018	Poland	1	203	Inbound flight. Attendance at United Nations Conference of the Parties 24 in Katowice, Poland.
09/12/2018	Poland	1	144	Outbound flight. Attendance at United Nations Conference of the Parties 24 in Katowice, Poland.
09/10/2018	Luxembourg	1	88	Inbound flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Luxembourg.
08/10/2018	Luxembourg	1	126	Outbound flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Luxembourg.
08/08/2018	Norway	1	49	Inbound flight. Series of meetings with Norweigan Ministers and industry leads to discuss Deposit Return Scheme and aquaculture.
07/08/2018	Norway	1	45	Internal flight between Oslo and Bergen. Series of meetings with Norweigan Ministers and industry leads to discuss Deposit Return Scheme and aquaculture.
06/08/2018	Norway	1	86	Outbound flight. Series of meetings with Norweigan Ministers and industry leads to discuss Deposit Return Scheme and aquaculture.
07/07/2018	Return from Italy	1	177	Inbound flight. Attendance at International Conference on the 3rd Anniversary of Laudato si’, in Vatican, Italy.
05/07/2018	Italy	1	129	Outbound flights. Attendance at International Conference on the 3rd Anniversary of Laudato si’, in Vatican, Italy.
13/11/2017	Return from Germany	1	92	Inbound flight. Attendance at United Nations Conference of the Parties 23 in Bonn, Germany.
12/10/2017	Luxembourg	2	175	Return flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Luxembourg.
25/09/2017	Return from Belgium	1	68	Inbound flight. Roundtable discussion with Green 10 coalition in Brussels, Belgium.
24/09/2017	France	1	78	Outbound flight. Roundtable with Green 10 coalition in Brussels, Belgium.
28/02/2017	Belgium	1	22	Inbound flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Brussels, Belgium.
27/02/2017	Belgium	1	14	Outbound flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Brussels, Belgium.
16/11/2016	Return from France	1	16	Inbound flight. Attendance at United Nations Conference of the Parties 22 in Marrakech, Morocco.
15/11/2016	Morocco, France	1	38	Inbound flight. Attendance at United Nations Conference of the Parties 22 in Marrakech, Morocco.
12/11/2016	Morocco	1	44	Outbound flight. Attendance at United Nations Conference of the Parties 22 in Marrakech, Morocco.
29/09/2016	Belgium	2	27	Return flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Brussels, Belgium.
19/06/2016	Luxembourg	2	173	Return flights. Attendance at EU Environment Council in Luxembourg.

We collect a carbon emissions levy on all business flights, which aims to compensate for the carbon that our business travel generates. The levy raises funds that are put into projects on our estate such as solar panels.

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.

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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