Publication - FOI/EIR release

Cornavirus outbreak: FOI release

Published: 27 July 2020
Directorate: Safer Communities Directorate
Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland, Health and social care, Public safety and emergencies, +1 more … Public sector
FOI reference: FOI/202000028830
Date received: 16 April 2020
Date responded: 3 July 2020

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

Information requested

1. What actions did the Scottish Government take following this publication?
2. What Government correspondence has the Cabinet Secretary for Health had regarding Coronavirus since the start of 2020 which specifically mentions World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines?
3. What Correspondence has the First Minister had since the start of 2020 which specifically mentions WHO advice issued on Coronavirus?
4. What diary items / meetings have been held since the start of the year for both the Cabinet Secretary for Health and the First Minister to discuss Coronavirus?

Response

I enclose a copy of the information you have requested.

1. The following publications were released:
https://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/publications/DC20200313covid.pdf
https://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/pca/PCA2020(M)02.pdf
https://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/publications/DC20200317Covid19.pdf
https://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/publications/DC20200326letter.pdf

2. Correspondence attached. 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 an exemption under section s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained in the Annex B to this letter.

3. Correspondence attached. 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 an exemption under section s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained in the Annex B to this letter.

4. The First Minister and Cabinet Secretary meet weekly at Cabinet, in addition to SGoRR (M) meetings, and from the 16th March, they meet daily, prior to the Press Briefings that both First Minister and Cabinet Secretary attend.

ANNEX B
REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION
An exemption(s) under section(s) s.38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested because it is personal data of a third party, ie 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.

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