Health and Social Care Review business case regarding transfer of child services: FOI release

Information requested

• The business case for the health and social care review particularly around transfer of child services.
• All correspondence on the business case (or similar document containing a business case).
• Any options appraisal or confirm there isn’t one; and
• Correspondence from Nicola Sturgeon and Kevin Stewart on the review from January 2021 onwards, dates of any meetings they attended and who with on the subject and minutes of those meetings.

You provided further clarification to your request which was that it relates 'only to the proposed transfer of child services'.

Response

The answer to your question is that there is no business case, in line with standard practice we would prepare one for any change and publish once approved.

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.29(1)(a) (policy formulation) of FOISA applies to that information. That exemption is defined as the 'formulation or development of policy as the consideration or development of options and priorities for Scottish Ministers' and applies to any correspondence in relation to a business case, and any correspondence between Nicola Sturgeon and Kevin Stewart on a review.

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.