Correspondence relating to Scottish universities’ financial difficulties due COVID-19: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
1. "All correspondence or documentation (including emails, attachments, typed or handwritten notes, letters) between the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead MSP, and Scottish universities on the subject of financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 crisis. I would like this information from 30 March 2020 to 20 May 2020"
2. "All correspondence or documentation (including emails, attachments, typed or handwritten notes, letters) between the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland regarding the COVID-19 crisis. I would like this information from 30 March 2020 to 20 May 2020"
Response
I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the attached Annex A.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. names, contact details, and other identifiable information, 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.
Where reasonably practicable I have provided the correspondence in its original format, however for some documents the text has been extracted from its original format to assist with the redaction of information. There is no alteration to the content of the original text, except those redactions.
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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