Dialogue with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) about known issues: FOI release

Information requested

All the information held by the Scottish Government with regard to the regular dialogue with the GTCS about the known issues the Scottish Government has had since the Parliamentary Question answer was provided to Oliver Mundell MSP.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government FOI website specifically FOI 202200327461 Child protection and safeguarding: FOI release - gov.scot; FOI 202400443517 General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) child protection and safeguarding correspondence: FOI release - gov.scot; and FOI 202200287715 Communication regarding child protection and safeguarding concerns: FOI release - gov.scot . The relevant documents are highlighted in the tables below.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Already released FOI 202200327461

Doc no	Date	Description	Release full/partial
1	21/4/2021	Letter from GTCS to SG	partial
2	11/5/2021	Letter from SG to GTCS	partial
3	12/8/2021	Note of meeting	partial
4a	22/12/2021	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
	22/12/2021	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
4b	25/6/2021	GTCS FOI	partial
4c		GTCS Education Reform consultation response	partial
4d		Court of session judgement	partial
5	9/2/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
5a	3/2/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
5b	2/2/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
5c	1/2/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
6	25/2/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
7	2/3/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
8	21/04/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
8a	23/05/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
8b	01/06/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
8c	10/06/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
8d	24/06/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
8e	28/06/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
8f	05/07/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
8g	05/07/2022	GTCS Case study Examples	partial
8h	08/07/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
8i	08/07/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
8j	05/09/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
8k		Document	partial
9	06/09/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
10	07/09/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
10a	29/09/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
10b		GTCS Role and Case Study Examples	partial
10c	03/10/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
10d	06/10/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
10e	06/10/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
11	12/09/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
12	29/07/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
12a	01/08/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
12b	01/08/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
13	09/11/2020	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
14	17/05/2021	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
14a	17/05/2021	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
15	02/03/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
15a	02/03/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial
16	21/03/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
17	16/05/2022	Email from SG to GTCS	partial
17a	17/05/2022	Email from GTCS to SG	partial

Already released FOI 202400443517

Doc no	Date	Description	Release full/partial
3	12/9/2024	Note of Meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills and GTCS regarding their Fitness to Teach Insight Report	partial
4	13/9/2024	Email exchange between SG and GTCS	partial
5	18/9/2024	GTCS letter to Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills	partial
10	8/11/2024	Email exchange between Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and DS	partial

Already released FOI 202200287715

Doc no	Date	Description	Release full/partial
5	February 2022	SG and GTCS email exchange	partial
6 & 6A	25 February 2022	GTCS letter to SG and attachment	partial
7	2 March 2022	SG letter to GTCS	partial

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 exemptions under sections s.30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views and s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in this letter.

Reasons for not providing information

Exemptions under section s.30(b)(ii) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

Section 30: Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs

Sections 30(b)(ii) of FOISA exempts information from disclosure where disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially free and frank provision of advice and free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.

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. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because of an abiding interest in open and transparent government. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining private space to discuss topics at preliminary stages of consideration.

Section 38: Personal Information

Section 38 contains four exemptions, all relating to personal information. Information is exempt from disclosure if it is: (i) the personal data of the person requesting the information (section 38(1)(a)); (ii) the personal data of a third party – but only if other conditions apply (section 38(1)(b)); (iii) personal census information (section 38(1)(c)); or (iv) a deceased person’s health record (section 38(1)(d)). This is not subject to the ‘public interest test’.

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 202500448641 - Information released - Index of enclosures

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