Leveson Inquiry documentation: FOI release

Information requested

1. Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government which mentions the Leveson Inquiry, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), briefings, minutes/notes from meetings, analysis, from the last three months?

2. How many times has the Scottish Government been accused of breaching constitutional law in the last two years (2023-2024), can you supply the incidents and what happened?

3. Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government regarding Scotland being one of the leaders of the Under2 Coalition, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), briefings, minutes/notes from meetings, analysis,, between August 1 2024 and December 15 2024?

Response

Part 1:

A global search of the Scottish Government electronic records management system for all relevant information was carried out for the last three months.

I enclose a copy of all documentation and correspondence (including internal briefings, minutes/notes from meetings and analysis) sent and received by the Scottish Government which mentions ‘Leveson Inquiry’ from the last three months in ANNEX A, ANNEX B and ANNEX C.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information in Annex B as it relates to the personal information of third party individuals. This exemption 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 exemption.

Part 2:

Outwith FOISA, it may be helpful to explain that it is not clear what the intended definition of “constitutional law” is intended to capture, and, in any event, the Scottish Government does not hold a central record of “accusations” made in relation to its operations.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

Part 3:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing every item of information relating to “all documentation held by the Scottish Government regarding Scotland being one of the leaders of the Under2 Coalition, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), briefings, minutes/notes from meetings, analysis, between August 1 2024 and December 15 2024” would exceed the manifestly unreasonable upper cost limit of £600.

While you have limited your request to one topic, there is a significant volume of material held by the International Climate Change Division (ICCD) on Under 2 Coalition per your request.

The time and cost to search, review and prepare all materials for release would exceed the £600 cost limit. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. For example, you could specify a shorter time period that you would like information from or you could request information on a specific topic relating to Under2. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner’s ‘Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs’ on his website at:
http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx

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.

FOI 202500447097 - Information released - ANNEX A, B and C

File type

PDF

File size

204.7 kB