Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government correspondence with the MSP for Dundee City East: FOI release

Information requested

Any correspondence (including emails, letters, phone calls, handwritten notes, WhatsApp messages or any other documents) between the office of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and the following email: “dundee@shona.robison.scot”.

Information should include but not be limited to a detailed timeline (with dates) of any contact between these individuals.

Please provide this information between the dates of 1 January 2025 and 17 June 2025 inclusive.

Response

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(s) under section(s) 38(1)(b) - Third party personal data and section 30(b)(i) - Substantial inhibition to free and frank provision of advice of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemptions applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.

Some information withheld from the response includes correspondence between officials which constitutes advice to Ministers. To release such information would be likely to substantially inhibit the ability of officials to freely formulate such advice for Ministers about complex and sensitive matters in the future leading to delays or less well informed decision making.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Taking account of all the circumstances of this case, I have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. I recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information about engagement between a Ministerial Private Office and the MSP constituency office of a Minister as part of an open, transparent and accountable government. I have also considered whether there is a greater public interest in maintaining a private space for officials to develop and provide free and frank advice to Ministers on sensitive matters prior to public comment. I have found that, on balance, in this case the public interest lies in favour of upholding application of the exemption.

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 202500471344 - Information released - Annex

File type

PDF

File size

1.5 MB