Ministerial correspondence, staffing and budget statement for the Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen: EIR release

Information requested

1. All correspondence between Ministers, Special Advisers and Officials relating to the Scottish Government’s proposal to create an Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Local Government in the Scottish Government’s 2025/26 Budget Statement on 4 December 2024.

2. How many staff will be located at the Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Local Government in the Scottish Government’s 2025/26 Budget Statement on 4 December 2024?

3. When will the Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Local Government in the Scottish Government’s 2025/26 Budget Statement on 4 December 2024, be operational?

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

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, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

1. 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.

Internal communications

An exception under regulation 10(4)(e) of the EIRs (internal communications) applies to the information you have requested because it is internal communication between Scottish Government officials and Ministers and an answer to a Scottish Parliamentary Question.

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. We recognise that there is some public interest in release as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing a private space within which policy positions can be explored and refined, until the Government as a whole can reach a decision that is sound and likely to be effective. This private thinking space also allows for all options to be properly considered, so that good policy decisions can be taken. Premature disclosure is likely to undermine the full and frank discussion of issues, which in turn will undermine the quality of the policy making process.

2. The Offshore Wind Hub will comprise a multi-disciplinary team of widespread knowledge and expertise including consenting, planning and offshore wind development. Whilst exact numbers are still to be determined the core team will be based in Aberdeen and it will be the locus for bringing together relevant colleagues across Scotland.

3. Work has already started on hub activities related to engagement with offshore wind farm developers and wider stakeholders on consenting and planning including providing guidance, other information and seeking feedback on our processes. We plan to launch the Offshore Wind Hub in Summer 2025.

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.