Playfair library speech documentation: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
All documentation held by the Scottish Government about John Swinney's speech at Playfair Library on January 6, including correspondence sent about it, briefings and analysis, along with reviews of how it went, from between December 15 2024 and the date of this FOI.
Response
I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in PDF format. Exemptions under sections s.38(1)(b), s.30(b)(ii) and s.30(b)(i) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.
Under section 38 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), information is exempt from disclosure if it is the personal data of a third party.
Section 30 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) exempts information from disclosure where disclosure would, or would be likely to: (i) prejudice substantially the maintenance of the convention of the collective responsibility of the Scottish Ministers (ii) inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice (iii) inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation (iv) prejudice substantially the effective conduct of public affairs.
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. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in that topics discussed at preliminary stages of consideration require a private space to discuss.
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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