National Care Service data and correspondence: FOI release

Information requested

- The total monetary value of time spent on the National Care Service up to and including January 23 2025.

- The total amount of staff hours spent on the National Care Service up to and including January 23 2025.

- Any and all correspondence sent to and by Health Secretary Neil Gray and his office and social care minister Maree Todd and her office in relation to the National Care Service between January 1 2025 and January 23 2025.

- The total number of stakeholder meetings held in relation to the National Care Service up to and including January 23 2025.

Response

I have enclose most of the information you requested, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested, or exemptions apply. The reason why we don’t have the information an why exemptions apply are explained below.

The answer to question 1

In relation to the total monetary value of time spent on the National Care Service up to and including January 23 2025.

The most recent available total monetary value information was provided via a Parliamentary question 02/12/2024, please find the link below.

Written question and answer: S6W-31280 | Scottish Parliament Website

The answer to question 2

With regard to your question on the total amount of staff hours spent on the National Care Service up to and including 23 January 2025.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on staff hours worked on the National Care service.

The answer to question 3

With regard to your request for, “Any and all correspondence sent to and by Health Secretary Neil Gray and his office and social care minister Maree Todd and her office in relation to the National Care Service between January 1 2025 and January 23 2025.”

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. 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. 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: https://www.foi.scot/how-do-i-ask

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.

The answer to question 4

With regards to your request for the total number of stakeholder meetings, the Scottish Government does not hold the information in the format you have asked for it. As part of the commitment to co design there have been numerous meetings with stakeholders and those with lived experience. We have provided details of regular stakeholder meetings below which I hope you find helpful.

• The Social Covenant Steering Group (SCSG), was set up in 2021, following the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland. The group includes people with lived experience of accessing and delivering social care support and first met on the 20 July 2021 and meets most months.
• The Key Stakeholder Reference Group (KSRG) brings together a range of experts and practitioners to provide advice, scrutiny and challenge on proposed process, design and delivery plans and best practice to inform processes for design and delivery of the National Care Service. This group initially met monthly moving to three times per year with a smaller sub-group meeting every second month.
• Following a recommendation from the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in its Stage 1 report into the NCS Bill, an Expert Legislative Advisory Group (ELAG) was set up to consider some proposed amendments at Stage 2. Nine meetings were held weekly from 28 March 2024 until 30 May 2024. Membership representatives and minutes from these meetings can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following link - National Care Service: Expert Legislative Advisory Group - 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 https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.