Cabinet Secretary for Housing's dashboard information: FOI release

Information requested

A copy of the dashboard containing information relating to housing which the Cabinet Secretary referenced in her interview on STV on 18 June 2025.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. An exemption under section 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested.

The information exempted relates to a compilation of unpublished management information informally and confidentially provided by those local authorities who have been identified, as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the housing emergency, as experiencing the greatest homelessness and temporary accommodation pressures. It is used by Ministers and officials as an internal working tool to support open, free and frank discussions on the ongoing housing emergency response at both a local and national level.

An exemption of exemption 30 (b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views) recognises the need for Ministers and officials to have a private space within which to discuss issues and options with Local Authorities before the Scottish Government reaches a settled public view. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.

It should be noted that the management information being withheld from this release is primary or source data that is used to support internal discussions. The data will ultimately go through the extensive and rigorous analytical quality assurance processes before being made available within a range of Scottish Government official housing statistical publications, as follows:

• Homelessness statistics - gov.scot
• Homelessness in Scotland: 2023-24 - gov.scot
• Affordable Housing Supply Programme - Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end March 2025 - gov.scot
• statistics.gov.scot : Housing Lists
• Local authority stock, March 2024 - Local authority total and vacant housing stock, Scotland, March 2024 - gov.scot

This exemption is also 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. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing Ministers and officials a private space within which to communicate with appropriate external stakeholders as part of the process of exploring and refining the Government’s position on responding to the housing emergency, until the Government as a whole can adopt a policy approach that is sound and likely to be effective. This private space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered, so that good decisions can be taken based on fully informed advice and evidence, such as that provided by the local authorities experiencing the greatest homelessness and temporary accommodation pressures. Premature disclosure is likely to undermine the full and frank discussion of issues between the Scottish Government and these stakeholders, which in turn will undermine the quality of the decision-making process, which would not be in the public interest.

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 202500471797 - Information released - Annex

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384.1 kB