Land and Nature Apprenticeships correspondence: EIR release

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.


Information requested

1. “Notes of the Meeting between the Minister for Climate Action and the Minister for Further and Higher Education and Veterans on 11 December 2024.”

2. “All briefings given to Scottish Ministers on Land and Nature Apprenticeships since the election of John Swinney as First Minister.”

3. “All correspondence relating to Land and Nature Apprenticeships since the election of John Swinney as First Minister.”

4. “A list of meetings where officials met with external bodies to discuss Land and Nature apprenticeships since the election of John Swinney as First Minister.”

5. “All briefings related to these meetings.”

Response

Question 1

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the specific information you are seeking as no meeting between the Minister for Climate Action and the Minister for Further and Higher Education and Veterans took place on 11 December 2024. Therefore, with respect to your request this is a formal notice under Regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs confirming that the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

It may help if I explain that a meeting took place between the above noted Ministers on 28 November 2024 and that a follow up meeting took place between Scottish Government officials and agencies on 11 December 2024.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. It is important to note that although we do not hold the information and have applied Regulation 10(4)(a) – information not held, it is a requirement that we have to apply the public interest test.

Wider guidance on the Environmental Information regime can be found in the Key Concepts section under ‘Information Not Held’ and ‘The Public Interest Test’ in the attached Scottish Information Commissioner Briefings and Guidance document. Further guidance on the public interest test can also be found on page 8 of the Scottish Information Commissioner guidance.

Questions 2 and 3

On reviewing materials within the scope of your request, exceptions have been applied in line with the EIRs. The exceptions applied can be found in Annex A. I have included copies of the information you have requested in Annex B.

Question 4

Scottish Government (SG) officials have met with external bodies/third parties to discuss Land and Nature apprenticeships on the following dates:

• Apprenticeship Approvals Group Meeting - 5 September 2024
• Meeting between SG officials and Skills Development Scotland - 30 October 2024
• Meeting between SG officials and the Scottish Qualification Authority - 1 November 2024
• Apprenticeship Approvals Group Meeting - 14 November 2024
• Meeting between SG officials, Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Qualification Authority and NatureScot - 19 November 2024
• Meeting between SG officials and the Scottish Qualification Authority - 6 December 2024
• Meeting between SG official and Skills Development Scotland - 6 December 2024
• Meeting between SG officials, Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Qualification Authority, and NatureScot - 11 December 2024

Please note that for the purposes of your request we have conducted searches between the dates of 7 May 2024 (the date of Mr Swinney’s appointment as First Minister of Scotland) and 18 December 2024 (the date of your request).

Question 5

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the specific information you are seeking in relation to copies of briefing packs for the meetings listed in my response for Question 4 above. Therefore, with respect to your request this is a formal notice under Regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs confirming that the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

It may help if I explain that as part of the response to your request we have conducted a search of the Scottish Government’s main records filing system and no information was identified that would be within the scope of your request.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. It is important to note that although we do not hold the information and have applied Regulation 10(4)(a) – information not held, it is a requirement that we have to apply the public interest test.

Wider guidance on the Environmental Information regime can be found in the Key Concepts section under ‘Information Not Held’ and ‘The Public Interest Test’ in the attached Scottish Information Commissioner Briefings and Guidance document. Further guidance on the public interest test can also be found on page 8 of the Scottish Information Commissioner guidance.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Back to top