Human Rights Bill for Scotland documents that relate to the right for food: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


Information requested

Documents and sections of documents prepared in the course of drafting of the Human Rights Bill for Scotland which specifically relate to the right to food, including any text relating to the right to food which was included in the Scottish Government's draft Bill.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested, in the attachments of this letter. Links to relevant information already in the public domain can be found in Annex A.

Annex B includes relevant excerpts of documents related to the right to food that were prepared in the course of drafting the proposed Human Rights Bill, as requested. We have provided excerpts instead of the full document to maintain a manageable length and focus on the requested information.

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 an exemption under the following section of FOISA applies to that information. Further information on the reasons why that exemptions applies are explained in the Annex C to this letter.

  • Section 29(1)(a) – Formulation of policy
  • Section 29(1)(b) – Ministerial communications
  • Section 30(a) – convention of collective responsibility of Scottish Ministers
  • Section 30(b)(ii) – free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation
  • Section 30(c) – substantial prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs
  • Section 36 (1) - Legal advice
  • Section 38(i)(b) – personal details

You specifically requested text relating to the right to food which was included in the Scottish Government’s draft (Human Rights) Bill. This information has not been provided because any draft Bill provisions and the instructions for them come under sections 29(1)(a), 30(a) and 36(1). As you are aware, the proposed Human Rights Bill is still under development and will be considered for introduction in the next Parliamentary Session (dependent on the outcome of the next Scottish Parliamentary election).

This summer we plan to publish a policy paper outlining our current proposals for the Human Rights Bill to facilitate further engagement with stakeholders. This document will set out how we have advanced Bill policy development, demonstrating our progress since the consultation in 2023. It will highlight how we have reflected on stakeholder feedback to date, and outline key areas of Bill policy for further exploration in advance of introduction.

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 202500458689 - Information released - Annex A
FOI 202500458689 - Information released - Annex B
FOI 202500458689 - Information released - Annex C

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

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