Anti-Social Behaviour Independent Working Group: FOI release

Information requested

• The number of times this group has met, with the dates.
• The next date it is scheduled to meet.
• The organisations who are members of the group.
• The agenda and papers for the meetings.

Response

Most of the information you requested is provided below and where it is not possible to do so, at this stage, then relevant exemptions have been outlined.

The number of times this group has met, with the dates.

The Working Group have met twice on 30 November 2023 and 18 January 2024.

The next date it is scheduled to meet.

The Working Group’s next meeting will be on 5 March 2024.

The organisations who are members of the group.

The Working Group is undertaking an independent review as announced at Tackling antisocial behaviour. Members have been invited as to participate as individuals based on their backgrounds and expertise, and are not participating to represent the organisations they work for.

The full membership is listed below. For information, this includes the organisations they work for:

Co-chairs
Fiona Dyer	Director, Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice
Lorraine Gillies	Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Community Safety Network
Members
Tom Halpin, QPM	Development Lead, Scottish Police Authority Board
Lorrainne Meek	Chair, Antisocial Behaviour Officers’ Forum; and Antisocial Behaviour Manager, South Lanarkshire Council
Professor Lesley McAra CBE FRSE	Chair of Penology, Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh
Mark MacNicol	Project Director, Creative Change Collective
Kirsten Urquhart	Chief Executive, Young Scot
Kate Wallace	Chief Executive Officer, Victim Support Scotland

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested.

The agenda and papers for the meetings.
Section 29(1)(a) of FOISA provides for an exemption as it relates to the formulation or development of government policy (Ministers will consider the final report in due course).

In addition, Section 30(b) provides for an exemption as it relates to the free and frank provision of advice or exchange of views. Information is exempt under section 30(b) if disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially: (i) the free and frank provision of advice (section 30(b)(i)) or (ii) the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation (section 30(b)(ii)). This allows the Working Group, and people they consult, to freely give and discuss advice and their views.

However, I can confirm that the Working Group has committed to publish all substantive meeting papers (agendas, topic papers, and minutes) once they have produced their final report which is expected at the end of 2024.

On a final note, anyone interested in, or wishing to contribute to, the Working Group’s review can contact or send information to asbconsultation@gov.scot.

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.