Publication - FOI/EIR release

Social Security Scotland new headquarters correspondence and timeline: FOI release

Published: 4 March 2020
Topic: Public sector
FOI reference: FOI/20/00118
Date received: 4 February 2020
Date responded: 28 February 2020

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

Information requested

Any correspondence (emails, letters, minutes of calls, briefings and/or otherwise) between the Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and any of the Executive Team at Social Security Scotland, between 1 July 2019 to present, regarding:
a) The acquiring of new headquarters for Social Security Scotland in Dundee.
b) Any concerns about the transfer into new premises.
c) The timeline for moving into new premises in Dundee.

Response

I have enclosed a copy of some of the information you requested.
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 of exemptions under sections 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to this information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.

ANNEX
REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION
An exemption applies -
An exemption under sections section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

Section 38(1)(b) - Personal information
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested, such as name and contact information. Disclosing this information 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.

Section. 30(c) – Prejudice to Effective Conduct of Public Affairs
An exemption under section 30(c) of FOISA (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) applies to some of the information requested.
We have assessed this request against 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 a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However there is a greater public interest in protecting the processes and negotiations around property matters ensuring that the Scottish Government is able to conduct this effectively. This means that we have not disclosed the plans or associated explanations of any variation against plan which is business judgement.

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