Government Ministers issued with Government phones during January 2019 to October 2023: FOI release

Information requested

1. Please could you let me know which Government Ministers had been issued with official Government phones during the period 1st January 2019 to 29th October 2023.
2. Please could you let me know the make and model of any such phone.
3. Please could you let me know if official Government phones are issued to anyone other than Ministers. If so, to whom are they issued? I don't ask for the individual names of people, just their grade or position in general terms.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. We have also assumed you are referring to mobile phones supplied by the Scottish Government, when answering this request.

1. Please could you let me know which Government Ministers had been issued with official Government phones during the period 1st January 2019 to 29th October 2023.

Based on the records we hold, information on which Government Ministers were using or were ordered a mobile phone between 1st January 2019 to 29th October 2023 is provided below. Note: We don’t hold records on the exact date that a device was issued to a Minister.

Minister	Current Ministerial Role
Humza Yousaf MSP	First Minister
Shona Robison MSP	Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery
Angela Constance MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
Neil Gray MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy
Mairi McAllan MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition
Mairi Gougeon MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands
Angus Robertson MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Michael Matheson MSP	Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care
Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
Jenny Gilruth MSP	Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills
Siobhian Brown MSP	Minister for Victims and Community Safety
Natalie Don MSP	Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise
Richard Lochhead MSP	Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade
Fiona Hyslop MSP	Minister for Transport
Elena Whitham MSP	Minister for Drugs & Alcohol Policy
Tom Arthur MSP	Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance
Maree Todd MSP	Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing & Sport
Emma Roddick MSP	Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
Graeme Dey MSP	Minister for Higher Education, Further Education (& Minister for Veterans)
Gillian Martin MSP	Minister for Energy
Jamie Hepburn MSP	Minister for Independence
Joe FitzPatrick MSP	Minister for Local Government Empowerment & Planning
Jenni Minto MSP	Minister for Public Health & Women's Health
Paul McLennan MSP	Minister for Housing
Patrick Harvie MSP	Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel & Tenant's Rights
George Adam MSP	Minister for Parliamentary Business

 

Former Ministers

John Swinney MSP – mobile phone ordered but wasn’t used.

Kate Forbes – mobile phone ordered but wasn’t used and now assigned to a current Minister

Michael Russell MSP

Rt Hon James Wolffe QC

Keith Brown MSP

Clare Haughey MSP

Kevin Stewart MSP

Ivan McKee MSP

Fergus Ewing MSP

2. Please could you let me know the make and model of any such phone.

We can confirm that Ministers have used a range of devices available corporately through our mobile contract, this has in the past included the Samsung J6, iPhone 5S and 7.

However, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the current make and model information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section(s) 30c (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) of FOISA applies to that information.

In considering this exemption we have taken account of the fact that disclosure of information under the FOISA is to “the world at large”, not just to an individual applicant. We are therefore required to consider the effect of releasing the information into the public domain.

We recognise that there is an inherent public interest in openness and transparency regarding the use of Government systems. However, we have to balance this interest with the ability of those conducting Government business to operate safely and securely, as well as to protect our networks and information, all of which is required to enable the conduct of public affairs.

Providing details about the information you have requested into the public domain could subsequently be used by threat actors to evade any controls we might or might not have in place.

We consider that the public interest in ensuring that the security of our systems and processes is not compromised, thereby maintaining ability to conduct affairs of public office, outweighs that of disclosing this information. We have therefore decided to withhold the information.

3. Please could you let me know if official Government phones are issued to anyone other than Ministers. If so, to whom are they issued? I don't ask for the individual names of people, just their grade or position in general terms.

The need for an official Scottish Government issued mobile phone is determined by individual business areas based on their requirements. There is no limit on grade or position that can have a mobile phone.

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.