Keith Brown, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party, meetings: FOI release

Information requested

All internal and external correspondence within and sent or received by the Scottish Government including attached documents, meeting handouts, memos, briefings to ministers, attendee lists, location of meeting, notes, minutes, or OneNote memos, linked to the following meetings:

• Keith Brown's meetings with Scottish Police Authority or Police Scotland representatives on September 22 and October 14, 24, and 26, including the Chief Constable and DCC Kerr.
• Keith Brown's meetings with Angela Archibald and Teresa Medhurst on September 8, 20, 29, and October 13
• Keith Brown's meeting with the Lord President on September 21
• Keith Brown's meeting with Robin Iffla on October 5

Response

Copies of the information you requested is attached separately to this letter in the PDF document. You have been supplied with briefing notes and minutes of the following meetings:

• Keith Brown's meetings with Scottish Police Authority or Police Scotland representatives on September 22 and October 14, 24, and 26
• Keith Brown's meetings with the Scottish Prison Service on September 29.
• Keith Brown's meeting with the Lord President on September 21
• Keith Brown's meeting with Robin Iffla on October 5

I have also supplied relevant emails in relation to meeting arrangements for the meeting with Police Scotland on 22 September, the meeting with the Lord President on 21 September and the meeting with Teresa Medhurst on 20 September.

The information you have requested in relation to meeting attendees and the locations of meetings is contained within the copies of the briefing and minutes provided, with the exception of the meetings held between Keith Brown and the Scottish Prison Service on 8 and 20 September and 13 October. In this instance, information from the diary invitation has been provided.

In relation to Keith Brown’s meeting with the Scottish Prison Service on 8 September, there is no briefing material provided for release. This is because this meeting was arranged at short notice and briefing was not requested

In relation to Keith Brown’s meeting with the Scottish Prison Service on 13 October, there is no briefing material or minute of meeting held.

The minute of the meeting between Keith Brown and the SPA on 14 October is available from the Scottish Government website: Cabinet Secretary for Justice & Veterans and Police Scotland correspondence: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

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 a number of exemptions under the following sections of FOISA apply to that information:

• S28(1) Relations within the UK
• S29(1)(a) formulation or development of government policy
• S30(b)(ii) the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation
• S30(c) effective conduct of public affairs
• S31(1) National Security
• s38(1)(b) personal information

The reasons why the exemptions apply are explained in Annex A to this letter. And the corresponding information has been redacted in the briefing and minutes provided.

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.

FOI- 202300338448 - Information released - Annex

File type

60 page PDF

File size

859.9 kB