Fife Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) consultant report correspondence: FOI release

Information requested

1. Correspondence between the Scottish Government, and Fife health and care partnership, regarding to the turnaround consultant report for Fife HSCP that was given to the health partnership senior leadership team in November 2018.
2. A copy of the report in question, if it is held by the Scottish Government.
3. Copies of Scottish Government correspondence and emails regarding the findings of the report.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide all of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 30 (c) “the effective conduct of public affairs” of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption applies are explained in the Annex A to this letter.
I therefore attach pages 1 to 3 and page 33 of the turnaround consultant report for Fife HSCP. Pages 34 to 37 are also attached and have been redacted.

ANNEX A
REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION
Number 1 and 3 of your request above - i.e. "Correspondence between the Scottish Government, and Fife health and care partnership, regarding to the turnaround consultant report for Fife HSCP that was given to the health partnership senior leadership team in November 2018" and 1. "Copies of Scottish Government correspondence and emails regarding the findings of the report."
As the Scottish Government does not have this information, this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested”.

Number 2 of your request i.e. "A copy of the report in question, if it is held by the Scottish Government"
An exemption applies to some of the information contained withing the said report, subject to the public interest test An exemption under section under section 30 (c) “the effective conduct of public affairs” of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. Disclosure of this information is likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs including Scottish Government’s working relationship with Fife Integrated Joint Board.

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 in order to demonstrate open and accountable public bodies. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the effective conduct of public affairs and ensuring that the Scottish Government is able conduct its business with other Authorities effectively.

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FOI-202000018542 - Information released

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9 page PDF

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