Ministerial media activity information: FOI release

Information requested

For the six-month period in 2025 from January 1 to June 30, please disclose the following:

• The number of press conferences held. For each, please give its date; location; subject; and the minister(s) taking questions.
• The number of pressers held. For each, please give its date; location; and the minister(s) taking questions.
• The number of interviews. For each, please give the date of the interview and/or its publication date; the minister(s) being interviewed; the media or social media outlet; and the media format (e.g. TV, radio, newspaper, podcast).

By press conferences, I mean events to inform the press about a subject or announcement at which the minister(s) answers questions from journalists present.

By pressers, I mean press opportunities where the minister(s) would make time in their schedules to answer questions from the assembled press.

By interviews, I mean one-to-one interviews between the minister(s) and a media or social media outlet, whether that is on radio, television, podcasts, online or a newspaper publication.

Response

1. The number of press conferences held. Date; location; subject; and the minister(s) taking questions

The Scottish Government held two formal, standalone press conferences in this period.

26 February 2025	Bute House, Edinburgh	Scottish Government priorities	First Minister
14 April 2025	Bute House, Edinburgh	Scotland’s resilience	First Minister

2. The number of pressers held. Date; location; and the minister(s) taking questions

You asked for information on “all press opportunities where the minister(s) would make time in their schedules to answer questions from the assembled press.”

Our records show Scottish Government news teams invited media to attend 75 visits and other events where ministers were available to answer media questions. This includes the formal press conferences noted above. I enclose a copy of the information you requested in the Annex.

All ministerial engagements, including those organised by third parties, are published as part of the Ministerial Engagements, Travel and Gifts publication. Third parties can invite media to events where Ministers are attending and would often undertake interviews. We do not hold details of these.

3. a) The number of interviews, date, minister, outlet

Interviews undertaken during Ministerial visits or events are not routinely recorded. Pre-arranged interviews are recorded when they are undertaken. This data is published as part of the Ministerial Engagements, Travel and Gifts publication, along with all meetings and engagements. Returns for January and February 2025 are available at the link above and 1 March to 30 June 2025 will be published within 12 weeks of the date of your request.

An exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested because we intend to publish that information within the next 12 weeks of the date of your request. This exemption applies to Ministerial Engagements data for March to June 2025. We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information rather than release all of this information before the planned publication date. 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 recognise that there is some public interest in its release and this will be met by our planned publication. 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.

4. (b) The media format of interviews undertaken by ministers

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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 202500477986 - Information released - ANNEX

File type

PDF

File size

124.6 kB