Advice received from independent consultants relating to public energy company: FOI release

Information requested

1. What advice did the Scottish Government receive from independent consultants on the business case for a public energy company.

2. What advice did the Scottish Government receive from independent consultants on the strategic case for a public energy company.

Response

1. Section 27(1) – information intended for future publication
An exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested because we intend to publish that information on within 12 weeks of the date of your request. We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information until that date, rather than release some of this routinely published information before the planned publication date.

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 because of recent interest in the public energy company and this will be met by our planned publication. In the meantime, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned. Also, we see no public interest in disrupting our programme of work to release the information ahead of the intended publication date.

2. The Strategic Outline Case for the public energy company is publicly available here: Public energy company: strategic outline case - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

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.