Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity meetings: EIR release

Information requested

a) a copy of all briefings for the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity in relation to meetings with MSPs on the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill.

b) a copy of all meeting notes of meetings between the above Minister and MSPs regarding the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because an exception under regulation 10(4)(e) (internal communications) of the EIRs applies to that information.

This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. We recognise that there is some public interest in releasing the information as part of an open, transparent and accountable government. However, this is outweighed by the greater public interest in allowing Scottish Government officials and Ministers a private space to share free and frank views for the purpose of deliberation of any given policy.

An exception under regulation 11(2) of the EIRs (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.

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 202300376042 - Information Released - Document 1-8

File type

31 page PDF

File size

435.7 kB