Heat in Buildings Bill Consultation: EIR release

Information requested

1. The number of Scottish Government staff working on processing responses to the Heat in Buildings Bill Consultation.

2. How many working hours a week are committed to processing responses to the Heat in Buildings Bill Consultation.

3. Minutes from meetings to discuss the timeline for publishing the Heat in Buildings Bill.

Response

The answer to questions 1 and 2 are none. Processing and analysis of responses to the consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill are now complete, and Scottish Ministers continue to consider the issues raised as a result.

Regarding your question 3, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because an exception under regulation 10(4)(e) (internal communications) of the EIRs applies to that information. Regulation 10(4)(e) allows a Scottish public authority to withhold internal communications, which includes notes of meetings.

This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception because development work for the Bill is still ongoing.

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.