Correspondence regarding Social Security Scotland recruitment: FOI release

Information requested

Correspondence (including letters, emails, phone calls, briefing and/or otherwise) between the Social Security Scotland Executive Team and the Cabinet Secretary Shona Robison MSP or any of her directorate regarding recruitment of staff at Social Security Scotland. You asked for this information over the last six months.

Response

Attached is a copy of the information falling within the scope of your request. An exemption under section 30(c) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 is considered to apply to paragraph 5.3.2 in the attached document. The reason for this is that we consider the release of this information would otherwise prejudice substantially, or be likely to prejudice substantially, the effective conduct of public affairs.

The below details the information we hold and describes which exemption (if any) is applied.

Social Security Briefing for New Ministers
This document was a briefing for the Cabinet Secretary on Social Security Scotland. Information removed is not within scope. Exemption 30(c) is applied to section 5.3.2. 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 a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the recruitment process and ensuring that the Scottish Government is able conduct this aspect of its business effectively.

Reply from Social Security Scotland to Letter from Social Justice and Social Security Committee
This is correspondence between the Chief Executive and the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. This document was copied to the Cabinet Secretary for information. It can be found at the following address: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-andprevious-committees/session-6-social-justice-and-social-securitycommittee/correspondence/2021/social-security-scotland-key-priorities

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.

FOI202100252837 - Information released

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