Wellbeing Economy Alliance meetings and correspondence: FOI release

Information requested

1. All meetings (both virtual and in person) Scottish Ministers have held with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance since 8 May 2024, the minutes of those meetings, the full attendee list, any actions taken following these meetings and any costs associated with holding those meetings.

2. The total amount of money the Scottish Government has paid to the Wellbeing Economy Alliance in the financial years of 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and so far in 2025-26. Please also provide the source of the funding (i.e. whether it was from a specific Scottish Government directorate or fund).

3. Any assessment the Scottish Government has conducted regarding the impact of wellbeing economy policies on Scotland's economy since 8 May 2024.

4. Any email correspondence from the Minister for Public Finance or the Deputy First Minister to any other Scottish Minister containing the term 'wellbeing economy' since 1 September 2024.

Response

Part 1: In relation to the first part of your request concerning meetings Scottish Ministers have held with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance since 8 May 2024, the meetings listed below took place between that date and the date of your request. Two of these meetings were between the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Gaelic and the Wellbeing Economy Expert Advisory Group, of which WEAll Scotland is a member.

• 15 July 2024 – meeting between the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Gaelic and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance
• 11 September 2024 – meeting between the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Gaelic and the Wellbeing Economy Expert Advisory Group
• 20 November 2024 – meeting between the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Gaelic and the Wellbeing Economy Expert Advisory Group

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the form of minutes of these meetings, which include attendee lists, as the attached Annexes A-C. In addition, I can confirm that there were no costs associated with holding these meetings. Regarding actions taken following those meetings, following the meeting on 20 November 2024 between the Deputy First Minister and the Wellbeing Economy Expert Advisory Group (WEEAG), two sub-group meetings were held with officials only to discuss more fully the themes identified by members as being of particular interest: economic inactivity and co-investment. These meetings took place on 28 January 2025 and 12 February 2025.

Part 2: Following a search of Scottish Government records, two payments made to the Wellbeing Economy Alliance have been identified in the relevant time periods. Details of these are set out below.

Payment 1

Payment date: 11 March 2021 Amount: £3,000

Payment 2

Payment date: 8 April 2021 Amount: £3,000

Both of these payments were made from the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser and relate to research undertaken by the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.

Part 3: You requested any assessment the Scottish Government has conducted regarding the impact of wellbeing economy policies on Scotland's economy since 8 May 2024. The National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) has a vision to create a wellbeing economy: a society that is thriving across economic, social and environmental dimensions, and that delivers prosperity for all Scotland's people and places. The ambition of the strategy is to build an economy that is fairer, wealthier and greener. Since publication of NSET in March 2022, two annual progress reports have been published. As well as describing progress on implementation, the reports contain case studies on the equality and human rights impacts of actions taken to deliver the strategy. The progress reports can be accessed on the Scottish Government website:

• National Strategy for Economic Transformation: annual progress report June 2023 - gov.scot
• National Strategy for Economic Transformation: second annual progress report - gov.scot

To help track Scotland’s progress towards the development of a wellbeing economy in Scotland, the Scottish Government has published a Wellbeing Economy Monitor (WEM). The Monitor is based on the wellbeing outcomes in the National Performance Framework and is designed to complement the indicators within NSET. The most recent version of the WEM was published on 22 July 2025 and is available on the Scottish Government website: Scotland's wellbeing economy monitor: July 2025 - gov.scot.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you paper copies.

Part 4: Our records indicate that the following email containing the term 'wellbeing economy' was sent from the Deputy First Minister to several recipients, including the First Minister, on 16 May 2025:

RE: Submission - Wellbeing Economy Forum in Iceland and WEGo Update

The email indicates that the Deputy First Minister had noted the recommendations in a submission provided by officials. Both the above email and the corresponding submission are provided in the attached Annexes D-E. There are no records of any other email correspondence from the Minister for Public Finance or the Deputy First Minister to any other Scottish Minister containing the term 'wellbeing economy' since 1 September 2024.

Application of relevant exemptions

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 exemptions under sections 30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice), 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views), 30(c) (effective conduct of public affairs), and 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained below.

Exemptions under sections 30(b)(i) and 30(b)(ii) of FOISA (free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views), and section 30(c) of FOISA (effective conduct of public affairs) apply to aspects of some of the information requested. These exemptions apply because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation, or otherwise prejudice substantially the effective conduct of public affairs. The exemptions recognise the need for Ministers to have a private space within which to seek advice and views from officials, or to engage in discussions with appropriate external stakeholders, before reaching a settled public position. 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.

Disclosing the content of free and frank briefing material on these matters will substantially inhibit such briefings in the future. In addition, disclosing in full the content of discussions with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance at the meetings listed above will substantially inhibit such discussions in the future, because stakeholders will be reluctant to provide their views fully and frankly if they believe that those views are likely to be made public. This would in turn undermine the quality of the decision-making process.

These exemptions are subject to the 'public interest test'. 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 exemptions. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption because there is a greater public interest in allowing a private space within which officials can provide free and frank advice to Ministers, including in briefings and submissions, to inform action and support participation in meetings and events. We recognise that there is some 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 high quality policy and decision- making. It is clearly in the public interest that Ministers can properly make decisions and engage with stakeholders in an informed way. Disclosure of this type of information could lead to a reduction in the comprehensiveness and frankness of such advice in the future, as well as a reluctance for external stakeholders to provide their views fully and frankly, which would not be in the public interest. It should also be noted that there is an important public interest in avoiding the loss of stakeholder confidence in cases where they thought they were providing comments in confidence, which would be inevitable if an individual’s contribution was released against their wishes. This would significantly harm the Scottish Government’s ability to carry out many aspects of its work, and could adversely affect its ability to communicate and engage in discussions with external stakeholders as part of policy and decision making.

An exemption under section 38(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. Section 38(1)(b) relates to personal data the disclosure of which would contravene data protection principles. As such, we have redacted the names and other identifying information of Scottish Government officials below Senior Civil Service level and individuals where their names are not publicly available in connection with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. 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.

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 202500476009 - Information Released - Annex

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