Correspondence regarding Place Based Investment Programme: FOI release

Information requested

Could you supply all documentation held, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), minutes/notes from meetings, briefings, analysis, about the Place Based Investment Programme, from the last three months?

Response

Our search period for your request was from 1 February 2025 to 12 May 2025 inclusive, with 12 May being the date your request was submitted to the Scottish Government.

The agreed scope for your request is the provision of information on the overarching Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) as the core subject matter; with general/generic administration tasks and project-specific correspondence being out of scope.

We have therefore provided all in-scope information on this basis in the appendix that accompanies this letter. With regard to the document titled ‘Place Based Investment Programme Situation Report – May 2025’ and the email dated 26 March 2025 sent at 14:07 in the appendix, these refer to data contained in the draft PBIP evaluation report which cannot be released as explained below. However, the full report has since been published by the Improvement Service on 3 June 2025 and is publicly available via the following link: Improvement Service (PBIP - Interim Report for Funding Allocated in 2023-24).

It is also worth noting that where information forms part of a larger document but is out of scope for your request, this information has been deleted with the citation [redacted: information is out of scope of enquiry].

In addition, please note that some information has been redacted where this is subject to exemption under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act (FOISA) 2002. This includes names and designations of officials as well as information where disclosure inhibits the provision of free and frank advice. The relevant exemptions for your request are:

• Section 27(1) Information intended for future publication. This applies where publication is within 12 weeks of the date of your request. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test', noting that we have found on balance there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned.
• Section 30(b)(i) Substantial inhibition to free and frank provision of advice. This exemption recognises the need for officials to have a private space within which to provide free and frank advice to Ministers/other officials before the Scottish Government reaches a settled public view. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’ and we have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.
• Section 38(1)(b) Personal data relating to Third Party. This applies where disclosure would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. 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.

We have provided the information in chronological order over the search period, which I hope you find helpful.

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 202500465601 - Information Released - Annex

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