Information pertaining to Highlands and Islands Climate Change Hub: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Information requested
- Information on how much funding the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub receive annually
- All progress reports
- An economic assessment of their effectiveness to date.
Response
As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.
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, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.
Response to your request
1. The funding for the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub since its inception:
- 21/22: £90,000.00
- 22/23: £300,000.00
- 23/24: £439,078.00
2. We enclose copies of the progress reports you requested. 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 exceptions under regulations Reg 10(5)(e) (Confidentiality of commercial or industrial information, provided for by law to protect legitimate economic interest.) and Reg 11(2) (Personal data relating to third party) of the EIRs applies to that information. The reasons why those exceptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.
3. The answer to your question is: No economic assessment has been undertaken. An evaluation of the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub is currently underway and will be published on our website once complete.
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.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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