Racist occurrence statistical count relating to Government employees between specific dates: FOI release

Information requested

A full statistical count, disclosure and description of subsequent action concerning all reports detailing:
(A) Racist hate incidents.
(B) Racist acts of civil discrimination.
(C) Racist hate crimes. (Including murders or attempted murders)

Committed against any black employee by any white employee or any white employee against any black member of the public.

Between Saturday, the 25th of April 2020 through to Saturday, the 25th of July 2020.

You subsequently confirmed that you were seeking information for Government employees only (your e-mail of 3 August 2020 refers).

Response

You have asked for information about the Government employees. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not hold information for all Government employees. If you wish to obtain information about staff employed across Government, you will need to contact individual Departments or Agencies directly.
The information in this reply covers permanent staff employed in the core directorates within the Scottish Government (see Annex A).

You have asked for information about any racist hate incidents, racist acts of civil discrimination and any racist hate crimes committed against any black employee by any white employee, or any white employee against any black member of the public, between 25 April 2020 to 25 July 2020.

We are not aware of any members of staff being involved in any racist hate incidents, racists acts of civil discrimination or any racist hate crimes.

As an employer, the Scottish Government does not make determinations about whether the nature of an incident constitutes a racist hate crime as that is rightly a matter for Police Scotland to determine.

You have asked for information about when a black person will become First Minister. The statutory framework for the nomination and appointment of a First Minister is provided for in the Scotland Act 1998. Section 45 of that Act provides that the First Minister ‘shall be appointed by Her Majesty from among the members of the Parliament’.

As the appointment of the First Minister is a matter for the Scottish Parliament, this is formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. If you wish to raise this question directly with the Scottish Parliament, their FOI page can be accessed at https://www.parliament.scot/abouttheparliament/13590.aspx.

ANNEX A
Core Directorates of the Scottish Government:

• Director-General Constitution and External Affairs
• Director-General Economy
• Director-General Education, Communities and Justice
• Director-General Health and Social Care
• Director-General Organisational Development and Operations
• Director-General Scottish Exchequer

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.