Transport Scotland staff overseas working enquiries: FOI release

Information requested

1. In 2024-25 and 2025-26, how many employees from this public body were given permission to work from outside the UK, or worked outside the UK with this public body’s knowledge?

2. In relation to Q1, please provide as much detail as possible on what country they were working in and what duration of time they were in another country.

Response

1. From the records that we hold, there were 13 employees from Transport Scotland who were given permission to work from outside the UK in 2024-25. At this current time, 11 employees have worked, or plan to work, outside the UK in 25-26.

2. We are unable to disclose information about the countries staff have travelled to. An exemption under section 31(1) of FOISA (safeguarding national security) applies to some of the information requested because it relates to national security. This exemption applies because disclosure poses risk to national security as it contains information covering times and dates when Transport Scotland colleagues were working in other countries.

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. 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 withholding information of national security that ensure the safety of the public and Scottish Government employees. Disclosing the content of national security will substantially inhibit action being taken to mitigate those risks. Disclosing the content of national security could open our colleagues up to potential harm and could substantially inhibit future work undertaken in other countries when performing the work required in Transport Scotland.

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.